


Handmade Heaven

by TurningPoint



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Anal Sex, Attempted Murder, Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Drugs, F/M, Gay Sex, Good Intentions, Grief/Mourning, Homosexuality, Love Triangles, M/M, Magic, Oral Sex, Plot, Promiscuity, Psychological Trauma, Recreational Drug Use, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Sex, Shower Sex, Slice of Life, Smut, Trans Character, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-10-29 22:49:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 31
Words: 77,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17817008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TurningPoint/pseuds/TurningPoint
Summary: Adam Morgan is your not so friendly neighborhood flower supplier. He's also into hardcore drugs. Will he continue to dominate the market with his Fairy Roses or will his brain be reduced to a pile of mush? I don't know.





	1. Agapē

The farm was filled year round with beautiful flowers of all colors. Seasonal flowers -poppy, blue jazz, sweet pea and crocus- each had their time. The fairy rose though, that was year round at Handmade Heaven. The smell was so subtle, so soft yet so enticing; though nobody could describe it without saying 'rose smell'. 

Adam Morgan describes it as agapē. The truest form of love: the love of a creator for it's creations. The scent of a fairy rose was love from Yoba himself. At least, that's how he marketed them. 

The secret to year round roses wasn't a difficult feat for Adam. He'd noticed that the rose bushes that did best were near the trees he left on his large plot of land. Fall brought their leaves down and rain soaked the tannin through the decaying leaves, leaving the soil slightly acidic. It was back breaking work but he worked sphagnum peat into the soil for each row of his rose bushes for the last three years.

His secret had landed him exclusive distributors in Zuzu: the 'upscale', 'organic', 'gluten free' florists, bridal shops, and designers would flock from the city to his farm for roses. He was the only one that could produce year round and Adam would never reveal his secret to anyone. 

He was extremely careful about his brand. He hand picked the best roses. Not one rose left his farm that hadn't been double checked to his satisfaction. 

Adam was content with his work. He walked between the rows of thorny bushes after each morning when his sprinklers turned off. The water kicked up the fresh smell of dirt and he loved how it mingled with the roses. He'd prune the bushes, any branches that grew out into the walkway or too high got the shears. 

One morning during his usual routine he'd found a bush that was particularly sad. He laid down his shears, walked back to the house and hauled a small wheel barrel of peat back to the spot.  
He knelt down into the dirt - pushing his glasses back up as they fell slightly down his nose - and began working the peat mixture into the ground around the plant's base, carefully avoiding it's thriving root system. 

Then he heard someone speak in the row adjacent to the one he was working in. 

"These roses are beautiful babe, just like you"

Adam rolled his eyes. What kind of basic ass line was that? He looked under the rose bushes and saw a pair of nikes with blue jeans, and white flats with a blue dress.

He cleared his throat "Hey, sorry but you can't walk around in here, private property". 

He heard two gasps come from the row. Then a man replied over the thick wall of roses. He recognized the voice was Alex's, one of the neighborhood kids. 

"Sorry man, I just wanted to show Haley the roses. We'll leave now" he said curtly. Then the two of them walked away. 

Adam sighed deeply and returned to work. He didn't dislike the townsfolk, he just didn't like to talk to people. That was one of his reasons for leaving Zuzu. It was peaceful out here in the country, less people to annoy him. 

Once he'd checked every row of roses he checked on his bee hives. Three were spread across his farm surrounding the rose field, the rose honey wasn't overly sweet but the rose nectar gave it a slightly pink hue. He only had enough bees to produce 6 jars a week so he sold it at the local general store for a low price. He wasn't in the honey business after all. 

-

Adam looked at his reflection in the mirror as he washed dirt from his fingernails. His hair was getting too long. The wavy brown mess almost covered his forehead. He opened a drawer on his left and pulled out a small black box. He took a small pair of scissors then grabbed his hair with two fingers pulling it straight up then snipped at the ends in a diagonal. He did this in different sections and repeated until he was satisfied with the length.

He walked over to the square, standing shower and turned the knob, a little more than halfway to the left, then he pulled down. Cold water came down. 

Back at the mirror, he took his black rimmed glasses off then opened the drawer on the right and pulled out a small contact case. He carefully put one into his eye, placing his wrist under his eye to hold it open then placing one finger into the center of his light blue iris. 

"Fuckkk" His eyes watered and he blinked until the burning stopped and his vision was clear. 

He'd always wanted contacts in high school, he thought the glasses made him look nerdy. He wore glasses most of the time now, he didn't want to be seen anymore. 

After the second contact was in and he'd blinked away the pain he pulled out clippers from the black box. He plugged them in beside his sink and began shaving the sides of his head. The back was the hardest. He'd learned over the years how to do it himself but he was sure he always messed it up. Nobody would be able to tell in a few days anyways. 

He swept the pile of hair off of the white tile and tossed it into a small trash bin under his sink, then took off his clothes now covered in dirt and hair. Then threw them into a nearby hamper. He checked the shower with a hand, nice and warm. He walked in.


	2. Dancin' with Molly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam wants to fly, don't bring him down.

It was too loud. Electronic pop blasted through the speakers overhead, the room was dim except for the occasional beams of green or blue light that would shine directly into Adam's face. He waited at the back of the room, as far from the bar as he could find. He stood against the concrete wall with his leg pulled up, one hand in a pocket of his khakis. He waited, sipping water from a clear plastic cup. 

A short man with a black jacket walked in front of him and stood beside him on the wall, neither looked at each other, they stared into the sea of sweaty club goers on the dance floor.

"20 for E, 10 for dust" the other man said just loudly enough to be heard by him. 

Adam took a twenty out of his pocket, sliding it against the wall towards the man. 

He took the twenty from his hand, then held his other hand out to Adam.

Adam shook hands with the man, still not looking at his face, then shoved his hand quickly into his pocket. 

When he was out of sight, he slipped the pill into his mouth. 

He took a drink. 

 

-

 

The world spun around Adam as he danced to the music. He looked up at the lights, they moved quickly overhead, but if he focused he see specks of dust as the light passed through them. He liked the way the dust was calm up above, though the ground where he stood was chaotic. He wanted to release his body and float up to join the dust. He wanted it so badly, and so he did.

He looked down at his body still dancing, he looked hot from up here. That messy brown hair, the broad shoulders, he'd fuck himself. He watched his own movements as he danced between a crowd of strangers. Then he looked towards the lights. The beams still swerved and circled their way around the dance floor. He watched them from above, waiting for one to pass over him so his body could see him. 

He felt hot, a beam of light shone on him and it stopped, the light was burning him. He tried to float out of its path but it followed him, it was a heat seeking laser that would boil him alive. 

He felt something on his butt. He turned around and saw another man, he was older, he was bald with a bushy brown beard, he wasn't bad looking but Adam wasn't into it. Not tonight. 

Adam cringed as the man winked at him, sliding his hand further down his pants and squeezing his ass.

He didn't say a word to the man, he turned back around and kept dancing. Adam wanted to be back on the ceiling. He wanted to leave. 

He was back on the ceiling again, he watched from above as the older man reached a hand around his body, grabbing at his crotch and pulling him back. 

Dust Adam didn't like that. He wanted his body to fight back, he wanted to teach the man a lesson. Then his body reacted. His elbow shot back, hitting the man in the stomach. The body turned around and grabbed the man's shoulders and sent his knee flying up into his genitals. 

He was proud. He was proud of his body, such a good body. The body began dancing again as the older man back away into the crowd holding his crotch.

"Its time for the show to begin ladies and gents" said a voice that came from a speaker beside dust Adam. He turned and looked over at the stage as the lasers shot their way over to it. 

I don't want a show I just want to dance thought the speck of dust. He looked back down at his body, it's eyes were glossed over staring into nothing as he continued dancing to the sound of the crowd's murmurs. 

"All the way from Pelican Town we have - Obsidian" spoke the voice again. The curtains pulled back and three instruments stood on stage. The Dust was thinking: 'Pelican Town? That's where I live. That's not good, I should leave now.' He looked down at his body but it was gone.

The dust floated along the ceiling, dodging metal beams as he scanned the crowd. He found his body making way through the sea of people. 

The band started up.  
The keyboard began at first, blasting through the sound system with a beautiful series of chords. Then the drums and bass joined in, Dust Adam thought it sounded pretty good, so did his body. His fist shot up in the air as he jumped to the beat of the song. 

-

The first song came to an end and the crowd burst into cheers, Adam's body yelled with the crowd, still jumping. 

The next song started up, this time the bass began, quickly followed by the other two instruments.  
It was a consistent beat, with some riffing from the bass. Then the bass player began to sing, his melody matching the tune of the bass. 

The dust listened carefully trying to place the familiar voice but was pulled from thought when his body made his way through the crowd again. 'No body stop' yelled the Dust, but he couldn't stop him. He shut his dust eyes and focused hard to get his body to stop. 

He was back in his body now, he looked around at the crowd around him then up at the band on stage. He knew them, they lived in his small town for sure. It wouldn't be good if they saw him here. They would try to talk to him. 

He made his through the crowd, stepping to the tempo of the music. He arrived at the bar.

"Can i just get a water" he shouted his question at the black haired woman with too many piercings across the bar. 

"2 bucks" she said, looking at him in disgust. 

"I don't have my wallet" he said, looking at her sadly. "Please my friend needs it she drank too much" 

She rolled her eyes and handed him a cup of water, no ice. 

He grabbed the cup and turned around, heading towards the exit, he started to giggle to himself.

"Always works" he said to himself as he sipped the water.


	3. No Place like Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam stumbles into a familiar face.

He walked up the steps, away from the blaring music and flashing lights, out into the dank city air. He passed under the neon glowing sign that hung in the doorway overhead spelling out "Kryptonite". He took a deep breath, finished the last of his water, throwing the plastic cup into a large black bin, then started to walk.

He made a left and danced to the beat he could hear from deep inside the building, making his way down the sidewalk around the building. The streets were empty now except for a few headlights in the distance. He made another left around the corner of the building and was hit with a sudden urge. The cigarette smoke wafted over to his nose, he felt like a mouse to cheese, his legs floated up behind him as he glided towards the smell. A black haired man sat on the handrail to the nightclub's back door a cigarette lit in his hand. Its smoke trailed up into the sky like a beacon of nicotine, guiding Adam to him.

"I'll give you a dollar for one of those" He said to the man's back, fumbling through his pocket for a crumpled bill.

"Sorry, my last one man" He said as he turned around.

He froze. It was Sebastian, the carpenter's son from Pelican Town. Shit. He wanted to leave again. Be dust, or a bird, or anything else. 

Sebastian stumbled off his handrail chair.  
"Uh- hey- Adam?" he looked at the man curiously. 

Adam was still trying to be a bird, he stared at the other man's face and willed himself to leave his body again.

"You okay man? You look pale as shit" Sebastian spoke again, his voice growing concerned.  
He reached into his pocket and took out a black pack of cigarettes, holding it open towards Adam.  
"Menthols okay?"

He couldn't do it. He was stuck again. Adam stopped trying to escape, then looked down at the cigarettes, grabbed one and put it in his mouth. 

Sebastian lit it for him. 

"Thanksh man" Adam said, taking a puff of the burning stick. He handed the crumpled dollar to Sebastian.

"You're fine" said the other man, waving his hand at the money. 

He never knew what to do in these situations. Did he stay and chat? Should he leave? He wanted to leave but also, Sebastian was pretty hot, maybe they could hook up. No, no, he lives in town they might see each other again. No sex. Then he should leave. 

As he decided it was time to leave, Adam saw the bald man with the brown beard round the corner from the other end of the building. 

He was fucked. He stood still, his heart slowed down, matching the pace of the man's boots as he walked towards Adam. Maybe if he focused really hard he could just be at home in his bed, this was a dream, he wouldn't have kicked someone in the nuts. He closed his eyes and pictured his bed: soft, warm, cozy.

He felt Sebastian push his shoulder "HELLO? Are You Okay?"

Maybe somewhere else, his rose garden. He tried to remember the smell. The beautiful fairy roses, the colors, the taste of the honey. 

He could hear stomping now. 

His eyes opened and all he could see was his roses.

He smiled and said "I made it". 

 

-

 

What the hell was going on? Why is the farmer out here in the city tripping balls? Who was that guy that just decked him to the ground with one punch?  
But Sebastian wasn't going to get any answers out of the bloody nosed man he was pulling up the steps by his shoulders. He dragged the unconscious man inside the building and propped him up on the nearest wall. 

He found his friends back stage, getting ready for the last song, pop music blared from the speakers outside on the dance floor.  
"Hey- uh- we have a problem" he began

"No time for problems, last song then we can get paid and out of this shithole" Sam said jumping side to side.

Abigail nodded, stretching her arms over her head. 

Before he could protest a man came to the back stage and waved them to get back out. 

Sebastian rolled his eyes and walked back out, positioning himself on the keyboard.

They played through their song, one of Sebastian's favorites, he got into the music and forgot all about the last 5 minutes, his hair waving in the air as he rocked his head to the song. Playing for a live audience was much funner than playing for an audience of 0 in Sam's room, even if they were just a group of drugged up clubbers. 

They wrapped up their song and Sam yelled into the mic: "Thank you everyone we are Obsidian, look us up on your favorite music streaming service, goodnight!".

The crowd screamed again.

The curtains closed and the three of them began to pack up their instruments and equipment into the cardboard boxes they brought with them.  
-  
Sam loaded the last of the boxes onto the truck as Sebastian and Abigail sat on the truck's roof watching him. 

"I'm gonna go get our checks" Sam said to them, clapping dust off his hands. 

The two nodded.

"That was fun" Sebastian said, pulling out his cigarettes. 

"Hell yeah it was, I killed it" she put a hand up in victory. 

Sebastian rolled his eyes and lit his cigarette. As he took the first hit he coughed. 

"Shit I almost forgot" he choked out.

Abigail patted him on his back "That smoking can kill you?"

He shot her an angry look "No, worse".

-

The three of them stood over the man's body, still leaning up against the wall out cold. 

"So should we take him home?" Sam asked. 

Abigail shrugged "We didn't bring him here, maybe he's got a ride home". 

"He was high as shit earlier so I don't think we should leave him" Sebastian said, kicking the man's leg. 

"HIGH?" The two of them said together, looking shocked at Sebastian.

Sebastian nodded "He had this glazed over look, didn't even know who I was I think." 

They all looked down at the man on the floor.

"Fine but I'm not sitting next to him, SHOTGUN" yelled Abigail. 

Sebastian rolled his eyes as he pulled on the man's arm "Fine whatever lets get him in the truck".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment and Kudos if you think drugs suck. Boo!


	4. Honesty and Other Fun Drugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam's ride keeps going up, and the fall is always twice as bad.

Am I dead?  
Adam felt a bump as the car ran over a pothole.  
Not yet, he decided. 

His face was hurting, his head was spinning and he wanted to sleep. But maybe that's just the ecstasy wearing off. His eyes were closed but he could see the headlamps over head shining through the window of the car.  
He could hear people speaking, but didn't understand what they were saying. Something about changing the chorus, flipping the set, it didn't make sense to him. He slowly opened his eyes, still not quite sure where he was.  
He saw Sebastian above him, he was laying in Sebastian's lap in a car. He liked where this night had taken him. 

"Hey sexy" he whispered up at the man above him. 

"Did he just call you sexy?" Abigail quickly turned to look back from the passenger seat, she had the biggest grin. 

"What? Really? Maybe he is high then" Sam chuckled from the driver's seat. 

Sebastian shook his head, pushing Adam off his legs "I should've just left you back there, you are fucking crazy".

Adam lifted his head up slowly from Sebastian's lap, his head throbbed from the change in pressure. 

He looked in disappointment back at Sebastian. Maybe the night wasn't going so well after all. He tried to remember where he had been, what he was doing but he drew a blank. He knew his face hurt, and Sebastian looked mad at him. 

"Why'd you punch my face?" he said, looking at Sebastian "Sorry If I grabbed your ass or whatever". 

Abigail began laughing uncontrollably "He is crazy. This is great I should record this". She pulled out her phone. 

Sam whined at her "That's not cool Abby, he's having a bad night already". She blew from lips and put her phone down. 

Sebastian ignored the conversation, staring out the window instead. 

Adam peeked his head through the space between the front seats "So what did I do guys, lay it on me. No wait, turn on some music" he pressed a button on the dash.

Soft country started playing through the speakers, he pressed another button. This time pop music came on. Adam turned the volume all the way up

Sam and Abigail exchanged looks of concern and disgust. 

He sat back in his seat and bobbed to the music, singing along to the song.  
"Don't want you in my blood line - yeh- just wanna have a good time -yeh-" he was grossly out of tune but he was enjoying himself, nodding his head to the beat. 

Abigail turned the radio off and said "Can we just leave him on the side of the road?".

Sam nodded his head and said "Dude you need to chill the fuck out or you're out".

Adam frowned. They made such good music but they were pooping on his party. To top it all off, Sebastian was mad at him. He crossed his arms and bobbed his head to the song in his head. 

The car ride was long, silent and awkward. Adam glanced over to Sebastian every few seconds, hoping he would look at him so they could talk.

After half an hour Sebastian finally looked at him.  
"What do you want" he moaned.

"Just wanted to say sorry" Adam said, sticking his bottom lip out. 

"For what" he rolled his eyes this time.

Adam wasn't sure exactly but he knew Sebastian was mad at him so he must've done something bad.  
"For the thing" he replied with a smile, it was the perfect answer, vague enough to cover all his bases. 

Sebastian shook his head and said "Whats up with you? You don't talk to anyone back home, and now you wont shut up".

Adam thought for a second. He knew why, but should he tell them? They seemed pretty cool, they were in a band so they must be cool.  
"Ecstasy makes me chatty" he finally replied, shrugging. 

"ECSTASY?" All three of them shouted, Abigail turned to look behind her, Sebastian's eyes were wide. 

He nodded. "It frees me from my body, I float up and I can control it from space" he waved his arm out as if the roof of the car was space. 

All three of them hung their mouths open. 

Sebastian finally looked at the front seats and said "Told you he was high".

"I'm not anymore really, promise" Adam touched his finger to his nose, then to the back of Abigail's headrest, then back to his nose. "See?" 

Sebastian shook his head again and stared back out the window. 

Abigail turned her head around the other side of the seat, away from Sebastian, and whispered "He's mad because you called him sexy, go with hot stuff next time" she winked. 

Adam beamed, nodding back at her. 

-

Sam pulled in to the bus stop and parked the truck along the road. 

"This is your stop Mr. Morgan"

"Thanks guys" Adam said to the front seat as he opened the door of the truck. He stepped down and looked back at Sebastian.

"See you around, hot stuff" he said, then closed the door, giving Abigail a wink through the window. 

He waved goodbye as the truck pulled off down towards the town. Then started walking to his house.

-

Abigail was in tears she was laughing so hard.

"He actually said it, you guys I think I love him, I want him to hang out with us more" she said through her giggles. 

Sebastian hissed at her "I'm glad you think you're so funny". He was having a great night, then he decided to help this guy out and he completely fucks up his mood. Sebastian was pissed but he knew the man was messed up in the head.

"That was pretty funny though Seb" Sam slapped him on the back "Sucks that he's only like that on drugs though". He started to unpack the truck. 

Sebastian grabbed a box and lugged it into the house. 

"Yeah too bad" he grunted.


	5. A Taste for Acid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam finds a new best friend.

*bzzt*

*bzzt*

*bzzt*

 

Adam pulled the phone out from below his pillow, he held down the power button, the light on the screen died. He tossed the hunk of metal onto his nightstand. It had been 3 days since that night. Every single detail of the night was etched into his memory which was the worst part. He hadn't left his house in three days, he'd missed 6 scheduled pickups. They could - they would wait until next week. He wasn't in the mood to deal with people. He needed to be alone with his thoughts. Which meant he mostly sat in bed and and imagined how things should've gone differently. 

He first mistake: not running away from Sebastian the moment he saw him. After that it was just a downhill spiral of fuck-ups. 

He slapped his face with both hands. No, he needed to get up it was time to get back to work. He picked his glasses up from the nightstand then stood up, walking out into his kitchen.

He set the kettle on the stove and took out a mug, yellow with a black cat on it. He set the mug down and dropped in a tea bag. 

He went back for his cellphone and turned it back on, leaning against the kitchen counter top as he watched the loading screen.'18 missed calls, 6 voicemails, 43 text messages' it read. 

He let out a long groan then started to read the texts. He rescheduled all of his appointments for a time in the following week, citing a family emergency. 

The kettle screamed. He walked over to the stove and poured the boiling water into his mug. Then he noticed the time on his phone. It was 12 am. He couldn't do anything this late at night around the thorny rose bushes. He would have to work all day tomorrow, he was sure over half his plot of roses would need to be restocked with acidic soil soon. He sipped his tea, anger started to build up in him as he read through all the texts, listening to all the voicemails. His head pounded and he wanted everyone to just shut the hell up. 

He was sick of listening to people. He slammed his mug back onto the counter a little too forcefully and the handle broke clean off of the mug, slashing his middle and pointer finger on it's sharp ceramic edges.

He cursed, squeezing his fingers with his other hand. He cursed more, throwing the broken handle into the garbage. He wanted to scream his frustrations out.  
No.  
He wanted to hit something, and he knew where he could do just that. 

He opened a large wooden chest sitting beside his front door and pulled out a heavy wooden club. 

 

-

 

The main mine shaft was lit up overhead by fluorescent bulbs, wires were bolted into the rock sloppily. Several tunnels branched out from the main path, unlit, dangerous. He didn't want to get lost, he just wanted something come to him. 

He held his club at the ready, waiting for anything to come out of the darkness so he could beat the crap out of it. He slowly made his way through the main tunnel. The rock floor was slippery in most places, the humidity in the cave was so high even the walls looked like they were sweating. 

He heard a noise from a dark passage to his left, It might have just been a drop of water but he waited, club at the ready. 

A green slime came out of the shadows, its whole body jiggled as it jumped across the floor towards him. 

The club swung high above his head, then Adam brought it down directly on top of the slime. Green goo sprayed all over the cave. It drenched Adam's clothes and burned his skin where his mug had cut his skin earlier. He quickly wiped the goo off his fingers. Then he stared at his fingers. It still stung, like citrus on an open wound. Slightly acidic. 

He hit his club on the wall of the cave, sending an echoing boom down the dark path.

More of the slime sounds came from the darkness, this time it sounded much lighter than before. A baseball sized green slime jumped out from the darkness, stepping in the green sludge on the floor that Adam could only assume was it's mother. 

He picked up the baby slime in his hands and stuffed it into his pant pocket. Wiping away the wet residue on his shirt.

-

Adam ran from the mines, he crossed the bridge over the lake and headed down towards his farm. He stopped for a moment, looking south towards the carpenter's house. He wondered what Sebastian was doing. He pushed the thought from his head and continued running.

He felt the baby slime wiggling in his pocket still which was a good sign. He had never taken care of an animal before, though he was sure if they lived in the mines they couldn't be that difficult. 

He just needed to give it water and figure out what it would eat. They could have a symbiotic relationship. He would name him Gunther. He looked like a Gunther. 

He pushed open the door to his cabin and searched the house for something to keep the baby slime in. He rummaged through his bathroom cabinets, under his sink. Nothing big enough to fit the baby in, unless he wanted to use his big stock pot. He decided against it, he scanned the room thinking. 

The wooden chest would be perfect. He took rest of the junk out of it: an old pair of gloves and some twine. 

He carefully lifted the slime out of his pocket and let him hop around in the chest. He had plenty of walking space and the edges were too high for him to jump out of, perfect. 

He took a small plate out from his cabinet and placed it gently into the chest, then poured in water from a glass. 

The green baby jumped into the water and let out a small squelching sound which Adam assumed meant it was happy. 

"Good night Gunther" he whispered, closing the chest. He was excited, a new pet and possibly a way to reduce his work on the farm if he could extract the slime's goo without hurting him.

A task for another day he thought as he took his glasses off and laid in bed. 

 

-

 

He woke up to knocking at his door. He scrambled to find his glasses and walked to the front door, looking down at the wooden chest for a moment before he opened it. 

"Hello sir, could I interest you in some fresh meth?" it was Abigail. She had a dirty grin on her face as she held out a lunch bag of white powder.  
"All proceeds would go to my youth group, we make it fresh every morning, and we need bus tickets to go to -pfft" she burst into laughter before she could finish the joke. 

"No thanks, not into meth" he replied and began to close the door. 

Abigail held out her hand "No wait I'm joking, sorry. I wanted to invite you to play pool with us today. At the saloon". 

He shook his head "I've got a lot of work to do so I can't. Thanks though". He tried to shut the door again.

She put her foot in the door, stopping it, as she chimed "Sebastian will be there". 

Adam sighed "I'll think about it. Now go, and put that meth away". He shut the door. He didn't want to go anywhere, especially not around Sebastian. He already didn't like being around people and if they were just going to make fun of him all night even more reason to stay away. 

He peeked inside the wooden chest, Gunther was still in the dish of water but the water had now turned slightly green. He brought his watering can in from his porch and lifted the plate out of the chest. He carefully scooted his baby slime off the plate, letting it hop down into the wood, before pouring the slime water into his can.  
He placed a number of different food items in the chest: a sliver of cooked chicken, a leaf, an apple core, a pebble and a lump of dirt. He refilled the plate of water for Gunther and headed outside with the watering can. He did his daily sheering routine until he found a rose bush who's flowers were wilting. 

He poured the small amount of liquid around the base of the bush, then marked the pathway with an arrow drawn in the dirt. He prayed silently to Yoba that the plan would work. 

After finishing his rounds on the field he went back inside to check on Gunther. He had hopped back onto the dish and was relaxing in the water, he hadn't touched any of the food items Adam had placed in the chest for him. He began to worry. 'I can't let him die, I already murdered his mother in front of him'

He hung his head down and looked at Gunther, whispering "I'll make sure you live baby boy". Then gently closed the lid of the chest. 

Adam pulled his phone out and did a quick search: 'what slimes eat'. The links led him to unhelpful information, most of them advice on how to kill slimes with rock salt. Maybe he would go back to the mines and try to observe some in their natural habitat. He looked at the time on his phone, it was around 5, he took a deep breath. He might as well go to the saloon. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. 

He turned on the shower.

 

-

 

Abigail was glad to see him. Her face lit up but Adam couldn't decide whether she was glad to see him, or excited to torture Sebastian. The black haired man glared at him from across the pool table as he lined up his shot. Sam waved at him and went back to looking nervously at the pool table. 

"I just want to start out by saying sorry" Adam said quietly as he stood in front of the pool table. He was mostly sorry to Sebastian but he didn't want to single him out again.

"Bought a round, to thank you for taking care of me" he handed them each a glass he held between his fingers. Then he took a seat at the furthest end from Sebastian and let the game play out as he sipped on his own beer.

Sebastian was very good. Adam watched him scan the table, he would push his hair back then lean in to take his shot. Sam was not pleased, he drank every time the other man sunk a ball. But he looked like he was used to losing. 

Sam finally spoke "So who was that guy that punched you".

"Nobody I knew, not that important" he replied quickly, hoping that would be the end of the interview.

Abigail sat down next to Adam and put a hand around his shoulder "Tell us all the juicy gossip, we all know you get wild" she winked at him. 

He gulped. He was uncomfortable, not only because her rather large breast was touching his arm but because he felt dumb talking about things he did high. Like stories he knew he'd done that he would never do himself. High Adam was better, cooler than sober Adam. 

"He wouldn't stop touching me. So I elbowed him and kneed him in the nuts" he said quietly. He wanted to leave already. 

Sebastian and Sam visibly flinched at the man's answer.

Sam turned around, still wincing in empathetic pain. "Damn that's a bit harsh" he squealed. 

Abigail snapped at him "If men can't take a hint you take the hint to their nuts". She patted Adam on the back "You did good friend". 

Adam drank more of his beer and nodded silently, turning back to the boys' game. 

Sebastian won.

Sam sat down beside Adam and slumped his head back in misery.  
He slapped the back of Adam's head gently and said "Your turn to get your ass kicked". 

He shook his head furiously "Don't know how to play, I'd just waste your time". He didn't want to play, especially not against Sebastian. His cold gaze scared Adam from across the room, no way would he stand across the table from him. 

He tried to shift the discussion "So anyone know what slimes eat?".

The three of them looked at Adam with confusion. He looked back at them, wondering what he'd said wrong. 

"No really, I need to know, I've got a baby one at home and I can't figure it out" he clarified.

The staring continued. 

Abigail cleared her throat and spoke slowly "The slimes - that live in the mines - you have one - at home?".

He slowly nodded his head "Yes?".

Abigail and Sam stood up and began grabbing their stuff, tossing their empty bottles in the recycling bin. Sebastian put away the balls and cue sticks. 

"Lets go then" Abigail said, pulling Adam up out of his seat by the arm. 

"Huh?" Adam looked in horror "Go where?" 

"To see the SLIME IN YOUR HOUSE" She exclaimed.

He got up and begrudgingly followed after the three of them. This was not the type of house call he wanted. 

-

Adam lifted the lid to the wooden crate.

The three of them coo'd at the sight of the baby slime resting in the plate of water. 

"Oh it's so sweet" Abigail said in a baby voice. 

"Gunther" Adam said. "His name's Gunther". He didn't like strangers in his house. He was starting to get antsy. He paced, watching the three of them peering into the chest. He looked at Sebastian, he had pushed his long hair out of his face and was smiling at his baby slime. He'd never seen Sebastian smile before. Adam liked it, but also admitted to himself Sebastian was hotter brooding. 

Sam stood back up from the chest. "Is this the result of another bad trip?" he asked cautiously. 

He shook his head "Research purposes". He couldn't tell them his reasons, his trade secret was too valuable. If someone else found out the secret to year round roses was nothing but acidic soil he'd have to switch his land over to produce, and he knew his body couldn't handle that kind of labor.

Abigail and Sebastian gasped. 

"I think he likes me" Sebastian said, holding his hand out carefully. "He jumped into my hand, he's all wet". Adam watched the slime slowly crawl up his arm. 

"Like father like son" Abigail snorted. 

He shot her a death glare as he held his other hand in front of the slime's path. The slime crawled onto the other hand and Sebastian gently placed him back into the dish of water. 

"So Abby, got any ideas? You're into weird shit" Sebastian asked as he wiped the slime residue off his arm. 

She crossed her arms in thought "Well they live underground, no plants or animals down there but bugs, and they are too slow to catch bugs". 

Shrugging, she said "They are probably mostly made of water so they probably just need moisture to survive". 

The three of them nodded in agreement. 

"That's it?" Adam wasn't convinced. It couldn't be THAT easy, could it? 

"If he starts looking sick just put him back" Sam said as he yawned "Its getting late guys I'm gonna head home". He opened the door and waved goodbye. 

Abigail hurried after him quickly saying "We'll come back to see Gunther soon" before she ran out the door. 

Sebastian took one more look at Gunther then closed the chest gently.

He moved to the door. Adam wanted to stop him, ask him to stay for a bit, watch a movie, maybe play with Gunther some more. He wanted to apologize again for the other night, he wanted him to stay.  
-  
"Night" Sebastian said and closed the door.

Adam slapped himself. Maybe next time.


	6. Cleric, of the Order of Tramadol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam gets stuck in a infinite loop. Will he escape or be trapped forever until Sebastian has a chance to debug?

"Yes, I'm thinking about my roses"

Who said that? Where am I? 

Adam was looking at something. He squinted his eyes, trying to make out what he was seeing. It was black all around but it looked like something was in the distance. Or was it dark? Yes that's it, just dark. He was outside in the dark. But it wasn't cold. He tried to think about what he did this morning. How did he get outside? 

He remembered waking up, then running out to see if his plan worked. 

The plan! He didn't remember going to check on the rose bush. 

Why not? he wondered. 

He was in a bright room for a while, there was blue everywhere. Adam could hear a beep go off every few seconds and he was so, so cold. Harvey was there so he must've been sick. 

Sick with what? Maybe a cold. What if it was Ebola? Ebola killed people. 

Oh no, I hope I'm not dead. If I died that would suck.

No, he wasn't dead he remembered going somewhere after that. He wanted to make Gunther a new house. He remembered Gunther, so cute, so slimy, so green. He deserved a better house than that dingy old chest. Robin could build him a palace! 

That was it. Robin's house. 

He remembered talking to her, but not what they said, then she left. Then he went down somewhere. 

Like the mines. He was laying in the mines? It wasn't wet though. He was dry and the mines were all wet. Down where then? 

He remembered it taking a long time to get down. He was hurt. His leg hurt. He remembered falling now. He slipped on his stairs outside his house. He hurt his leg and went to the doctor. That makes more sense. 

Harvey wrapped his leg in white tape, he wrapped and wrapped until it was huge. Then he gave Adam water and something else he really wanted. He couldn't remember what. 

Then what? He went to Robin's house! For Gunther! That's right.

Adam talked to her, gave her a check, then she left. Then he went to the mines. 

He remembered walking down the steps, it was dark, and it took a long time but he made it and knocked on the door to the mines. 

Who answered the door. Was it Gunther's mom? No, that's not it. Not green, black. It was dark everywhere when the door opened. 

Why did he go into the mines again? He tried to picture the steps again. 

There were noises, maybe monsters. No it was Abigail, she was yelling. He had to save Abigail. He remembered now, Sebastian opened the door, always so nice. Sebastian was always nice to Adam. Sebastian was nice. He was nice and hot. 

"Why are you in the mines?" he remembered asking. Sebastian shouldn't be in the mines alone he had to help him. Then he saw Abigail and Sam in the mines too.

He remembered them arguing between themselves, then Abigail took him to a bed. He didn't understand why there was a bed in the mines but he felt better laying down. He looked up at the ceiling, it was so dark. 

He forgot to check his roses. He had to make sure the plan worked. He needed to get out of the mines and check on his roses. 

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm thinking about my roses"

Who said that? Where am I? 

 

-

 

He slowly stood up from the bed. He heard rattling come from his pocket. Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out something hard. The small orange bottle read 'Tramadol 50 mg - one tablet 4-6 hours as needed'. 

"Oh yeah, that explains a lot"

Abigail grabbed the bottle out of his hands, reading the label.

"It says you should only take one, how many did you take?"

Adam shrugged "One?".

She rolled her eyes and poured the entire bottle out into her hand, placing them one at a time back into the bottle.

"You took three"

"THREE?"

That was Sebastian and Sam. They looked at him from a table on the other side of the room. This wasn't the mines. It was a bedroom. 

"You can't have any more for the rest of the day"

Abigail put the bottle into her pocket. Adam frowned. But she was right. He liked them too much. His body felt like it was floating, tingling all over, and he was so very, very calm.

Adam looked at the table Sam and Sebastian were at, they had papers and books with monsters on them and dice. That looked fun. 

"Can I play?" Adam pointed to the table. 

"Fuck it, DM says yes" Sam pulled out the 4th chair.  
"You guys need a healer anyways since BOTH of you decided to play wizard" 

He smiled and limped over to sit down at the table. He was right beside Sebastian but the black haired man wasn't looking at him. He looked annoyed. Abigail came to sit at the table and they began playing. 

Sam started speaking in a deep voice.  
"The two injured magicians see a handsome young cleric of the order -" he nudged Abigail's arm looking at her pocket. 

"Tramadol" she giggled. 

"Of the order of Tramadol. He has decided to join your quest to vanquish the evil Wizard, Morris"

Sam pulled out a paper and handed it to Adam. It was a bunch of numbers and words that he didn't understand. 

"The three of you stumble across a giant spider. What do you want to do?" Sam looked at the three of them. 

Adam looked down at his paper. He saw heal under the spells category, that's probably what he is supposed to do. 

Sebastian spoke up "I guess I'll cast firebolt at the spider".

He rolled a dice, 15. 

Sam started up again in the deep voice "The firebolt smacks the spider in one of it's eyes, leaving it blinded"

"I cast firebolt!" Yelled Abigail. 

She rolled a 5. 

"The firebolt comes out of your hand and it shoots too high, missing the spider completely"

The three looked at Adam now.

"I cast heal at the spider" he said as he picked up the dice. 

Adam rolled a 12. 

All of them slapped their heads simultaneously.

The three of them spent the next 20 minutes trying to explain what the numbers on his paper meant, telling him when to cast spells, what not to do, why the monsters were bad, what the dice rolls meant. 

Then they continued playing, Adam was starting to get it now. He just had to heal them when it was his turn. They went back to fighting the spider, killed a bridge troll named Jenny, then ran from a giant bear. 

"You've reached the top of the Wizard's tower and you see Morris preparing an incantation as he looks in your direction. What do you do?" 

"I'm pretty low on health so I'm going to try to freeze him with ice ray" Sebastian said. 

He rolled a 1. 

"The ice ray shoots from your eyes, but you sneezed when it shot out so you froze Abigandra solid, 2 points of damage" 

"Oh thanks a lot" Abigail slapped Sebastian on the back of the head.

"I cast heal on the wizard Sebold" Adam winked at Sebastian.

He rolled a 20. 

"Oh shit, okay then" Sam said, looking at the die.

"The handsome cleric, Adan, channels holy power from his deity Tramadol and heals Sebold to full health, - good thing too because - as the holy light dwindles from Sebold's body Morris's spell shoots him in the chest, take 7 points of damage - oh Abby your unthawed now too". 

"Thanks" Sebastian gave Adam a pat on the back. Adam was beaming. He did good, he helped. 

"I CAST FIREBOLT!" Abigail screamed. 

Adam continued healing the two of them as they fought against Morris, Abigail and Sebastian looked like they were having fun. He still didn't really understand what they were doing but he enjoyed the praise he got for helping them. 

"Finally, the wizard Morris dropped to his knees, his body was tattered and burnt from the firebolts, he took a final look at the three adventurers before him and said 'I need you to stay overtime today' then fell to the ground, defeated"

Sam stood up and stretched as the other two celebrated their victory. They began to pack the sheets of paper away into a folder and clean off the table. 

"What happens now?" asked Adam. 

Sam shrugged, looking at the clock on the wall "Its only 7, we've never finished this early before".

Adam wanted to hang out with them more, he liked being around them, he also needed to get those pills back from Abigail. 

"Come to my place, Gunther is lonely, and we can make frozen pizza"

The three of them debated for a while but eventually agreed. They all wanted to see how Gunther was doing, and they couldn't let Adam walk home alone with a broken leg. 

Abigail helped Adam back up the stairs, it was much more challenging than walking down since his stiff cast made it hard for him to bend his knee. 

When he'd made it out the door, Sam and Sebastian propped Adam up by his shoulders and the three of them walked side by side carefully down the path leading to his house. Adam was thrilled being so close to Sebastian. His arms were wrapped around either man's necks but for each step, he let his fingers graze across Sebastian's shirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do not take more than is recommended by your doctor or pharmacist. Adam's organs will start to look like Gunther if he keeps this up. Don't let that happen to you.


	7. Trapped in the Bathroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam is trapped and his friends want to help him get free.

They met Robin on their walk down the mountain. She looked surprised to see her son son out in the daylight. 

"It's all ready Adam, not exactly sure what the room could be useful for but let me know what you think of it" 

As she walked past them she patted her son on the back, proud that he was helping someone in need.

"What was that about?"  
Abigail walked backwards ahead of the three boys and looked curiously at Adam. 

"Not sure, I asked her to build something" he replied. 

When they reached the house they saw small room had been added to the front of the house with no outward exit. 

Sam and Sebastian gently helped Adam up the three steps to his porch, he fumbled for his keys in his pocket and opened the door. 

Beside the wooden chest to the left of his front door was a new door. Abigail walked ahead and opened it. She searched around inside the room for a light switch. Sam and Sebastian dropped Adam's arms, letting him hobble on his own while they went to look in the room. 

"Wow" 

They looked into the room, Adam could see into it now too. It was roughly the size of a chicken coop, large enough for him to walk around in. The floor was made of stone, the room had no windows, the only thing in the room was the small fluorescent fixture overhead and a metal trough with a drain that took up almost the entire room. A shallow slime wading pool.

"Mom did this? In half a day?" Sebastian sounded surprised. 

"I'm sure Gunther will love it" Abigail pulled away from the door and knelt down by the chest.

She opened it and let out a yelp. 

The three of them looked. Gunther, now the size of a melon had hopped out of the chest and onto the floor beside Abigail. 

She looked up at Adam grinning. 

"Told you they just need water" 

Sam, Sebastian and Adam looked around the new room as Abigail kept an eye on Gunther. Sam found a water spigot in the wall that fed into the pool. He turned the knob to let water out but the drain in the center of the pool sucked the water out. 

Sebastian ran out of the house. The water stopped draining and the pool began to fill.

"There's a drain valve outside to empty the water" he said, panting as he ran back in. 

Adam looked at Sebastian, he raised his eyebrows and nodded his head. 

"You're mom knows her shit" 

"Yup" all of them agreed. 

Abigail attempted to lift Gunther but he was too heavy, his body must've doubled in size since the last time Adam saw him. He wondered how big the slime would eventually get, hopefully not so big he'd need to build a new room for him. Abigail continued to lift him, each time his body would jiggle out of her hands and plop onto the floor.

The four of them gently coaxed him into the room, surrounding him on three sides as he hopped towards the open door. 

He finally made it into the room and moved over the edge of the pool, letting out a happy gurgle as he rolled around in the shallow water. 

The four of them watched Gunther play. Adam's head was staring to clear up a bit, he started to feel pain in his leg again. But he now remembered his plan, the whole reason for this room.

"Abby, Sam, can you go look at something for me while I start the pizzas" 

They looked at Sebastian, he rolled his eyes and nodded. 

"The second to last row of the fairy roses, near the end, there is an arrow in the dirt pointing to one of the bushes, I need you to see if it's looking okay"

They both nodded and headed out the door. 

He was alone with Sebastian. Finally. But he wanted to play it cool. 

He hobbled out of the room and over to his kitchen. Adam pulled two frozen pepperoni pizzas from the oven and read the directions. He set the oven to 450. 

Sebastian walked out of the room, turned the light off, and closed the door. Adam leaned against the preheating oven as the other man sat down at his dining room table. 

Adam didn't speak, instead he continued to observe Sebastian, the man pulled out his phone and was scrolling through a news feed. 

-

The oven beeped and Adam placed both pizzas onto the top rack, then set the oven timer for 19 minutes. 

He sat at the table beside Sebastian, pulled out his phone and began scrolling through the first app that he found. 

Sebastian looked up at him. 

"Not gonna mess with me today?" 

Adam looked up from his phone, feigning innocence. 

"Mess with you how?" 

Sebastian rolled his eyes and looked back at his phone. 

Adam sighed and put down his phone. He knew if he didn't talk to him now he might not have the courage to do it later when the opioid wore off. 

"Sorry. I remember everything and I'm sorry, I'm messed up" 

He didn't know what else to say. He knew the drugs made him crazy, but sober he was so lonely, so bored, so scared.

"You don't need drugs to have fun Adam" 

Sebastian had put his phone down. 

"Abigail kind of likes it because she thinks its funny, but we are all really worried about you" 

Adam looked down at the table. He sounded like his family.

-

He was in that green tiled bathroom again, his long wavy brown hair stuck to his forehead with sweat. 

His eyes were wide, full of terror and tears as his father slammed the wall beside his ear and yelled into his face. 

He was asking a question but he couldn't hear it. All he heard was his blood pumping in his ears. 

He opened his mouth but his throat was sealed shut. 

His father yelled again, then he felt a sharp blow to his stomach and Adam fell to his knees. 

He felt hands wrap around his neck, pulling him back up. They were eye level now, his arms and legs dangled down as he held his breath.

 

He could handle the pain, the beatings, the yelling; but his mother knew - she had seen it, she could hear it - and she did nothing. She looked away and it ripped Adam apart, it hurt worse than anything his father could do to him. He was alone, helpless. 

He had a brother and sister: they both knew his father's anger, but none like Adam. He never knew why.

His family watched him suffer and they turned their heads. They listened to his coughs as he gasped for air against the wall and they closed their doors. They continued on with their lives and he was stuck. He was always trapped against that bathroom wall, looking out the window wishing he could fly away. 

He didn't know when it started but he couldn't talk to people anymore. He stopped talking to his mother, his siblings. Then he stopped talking to everyone. He was terrified he would say the wrong thing, that he would be back in the bathroom. 

He lived like that for years. 

Then he found the drugs, they were his window. He felt free, he could say anything, do anything, he was happy again for some time. 

But his family was worried. 

They worried about him now that he could speak again, now that he didn't cry in his sleep, now that he could finally breathe, now that he wasn't trapped. 

It was a sick joke. 

-

"I don't do drugs for fun" Adam grit his teeth. His eyes were red with anger but he held it in.

Sebastian looked at him with concern. Adam looked out the window, he focused on his breathing. He couldn't do this anymore, he was coming down and he couldn't handle the pressure of this conversation anymore. He shut his eyes and breathed in, then out.

"What do you do drugs for Adam?" 

"I just want to be happy" he whispered to the window. 

 

-

 

His leg was throbbing in pain as they walked outside.

Sebastian handed the man a cigarette.

 

Adam took a long hit and held it in his lungs, then blew out. 

Sebastian blew his own cloud up in the air then turned to face the other man. 

"You can be happy without the drugs Adam" 

He shook his head. 

"I get stuck in my head"

Adam closed his eyes, his leg was killing him. He took another puff. 

"I need another pill"

"Just one" 

"Fine" 

-

Abigail and Sam walked up the steps and started coughing as they walked through the cloud of smoke. 

"Abby, pill"  
Sebastian held his hand out at her.

She nodded and took a single pill out and gave it to Sebastian. He raised the hand to Adam's open mouth. He dry swallowed the pill and grunted. 

"Are you his nurse now?" Sam slapped Sebastian's back.

He didn't dignify the question with a response.

"Oh yeah the rose bush looks fine" added Abigail.

Adam nodded silently, took a final hit off the cigarette then dropped it and crushed it with his foot.

"Pizzas almost ready" he said quietly, heading back inside.

-

Abigail waited until the door had closed, then turned to Sebastian.

"Did something happen?" 

Sebastian shook his head, finishing his smoke. 

"We need to watch out for him" 

He headed inside. 

Sam and Abigail followed. 

Adam took the first pizza out of the oven and set it on the stove top. Sebastian pulled him away from the oven by the arm and led him to the table, taking away his oven mitts. 

Adam sat down and watched Sebastian take the other pizza out and begin slicing them. 

"Plates?" 

"Top right" 

Adam sat at the table across from Sam and Abigail, they all sat in silence as Sebastian brought out plates and then the pizza. 

He sat down next to Adam and took a slice of pizza. 

Adam felt ashamed. He was being served food in his own home. By someone who hardly knew him. The pill was enough to ease his pain but he wanted more. He wanted to not feel like shit anymore.

They ate in silence. 

"So what up with you guys" Sam finally broke the silence. 

Abigail nodded, her mouth still full of pizza. 

"Sorry" was all Adam managed to get out. He looked down at his pizza. 

Sebastian cleared his throat and wiped his mouth.

"Nothing, I just want Adam to stop doing drugs" 

Adam sank deeper into his chair. 

"I'm down for that" said Abigail when her mouth was empty.

Sam nodded.

"High Adam is fun but you are kind of a lot to deal with" 

Were they trying to make him feel better? It wasn't working. More and more shame piled up onto him the more they spoke. He was a pathetic waste of life and he wanted to be alone. He stared down into his pizza and wanted them to get bored of him and leave. He closed his eyes and waited, he just wanted to be alone so leave. Just leave. 

Sebastian put his hand on the man's back. 

"If you stay sober for one week I'll go on a date with you" 

Abigail shot water from her nose, soaking the table with watery snot.


	8. Spark Joy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam has to choose between a rock and a hard place. Sebastian is the hard place. The rock is, well you know, drugs.

The three of them laid out ground rules. He could take one tramadol every 6 hours, just for the pain. Nothing else. They would take turns watching him. Sebastian agreed to the first shift. He could bring his laptop from home and work from Adam's house. Sam had work the next two days so he'd start his shift on Wednesday, then Abigail would take Friday and Saturday. They would all hang out together again next Sunday to play Solarion Chronicles, it was Abigail's turn to DM.

They looked pleased with the plan they had come up with. 

"No dates in the city either, has to be here in town" Abigail added. 

Sebastian nodded in agreement. 

Adam had sat quietly as they talked, like babysitters planning out their weekly shifts. He didn't like them talking about him like he wasn't sitting at the table with them; at the same time he was flattered that they cared enough to waste an entire week with him. 

He wasn't sure he'd be able to do it, he was already thinking of how to sneak more pills out from under their noses, or he could leave at night and find something in the city, then come back in the morning. He didn't want to be sober, but he did really want that date.

Wait, he had to work to do. He could save a lot of time by using Gunther's juices to replenish his soil but he still had to prune and prepare for all the flower orders that he'd rescheduled, in addition to the ones already booked. Probably about 10 total, he had a lot of work to do. 

He looked at the three of them. If they were going to be watching him all week they would figure out his secret. If they told anyone about it he'd be ruined. He pulled up all the courage he had left in his body; this was his livelihood at stake after all. 

"Okay, I accept the terms" he finally said quietly.

"If" - he tried to make the most serious face he could. 

"You promise to keep one secret"

Adam looked at the three of them then held his pinky over the table. 

The three of them looked at it and nodded, reaching their pinkies over and wrapping around Adam's.

He felt like he could trust them. They'd seen him at his worst already. Adam continued.

"Roses need acidic soil. That's why I need Gunther , that's why I asked Robin to build that room" he said nodding at Gunther's door. 

"That's it?" asked Abigail. Her face in a tight pout as she pulled back her pinky.

"I already knew that. I figured it out when we first came to see Gunther" She crossed her arms. Sam, Sebastian and especially Adam looked at her in shock. 

"I thought your big secret would be something cool. Like you used to be a Gotoro spy or something, and NO, I didn't tell anyone" 

She was visibly upset by Adam's confession. He went from shocked, to terrified, to confusion in seconds.

He started laughing. 

Sam and Sebastian chuckled too.

She continued frowning. 

"You guys suck" 

 

-

 

Sam and Abigail stayed with Adam while Sebastian went back home to talk to his mother and grab things from his house for his shift. 

Abigail and Sam sat on the couch and Adam sat in the recliner beside the fireplace. Sam had picked a show, a small woman kept saying "spark joy" but that's about as invested as Adam could get. He stared back at Abigail who was still giving him dirty looks. 

"You better not touch Sebastian while he's sleeping"

She mouthed the words 'or else' then drew a line with her thumb across her neck. 

Adam nodded and turned back to the TV. How did people let their houses get that messy? He loved to clean, though he would always have a line of cocaine before he cleaned.

He sighed. No more drugs. No more dust while he dusted, powder while he polished. Maybe he would need this woman's help too when he got sober; but he wasn't sure what sparked joy for him. Sebastian for sure, Gunther too, his roses, his bed maybe? 

-

Sebastian entered the house carrying a large backpack. He dropped the backpack gently by the couch and sat beside Abigail. 

"What are we watching?" 

"This lady helps people clean" said Abigail, she turned away from Sam and pointed a finger gun at her head, pouting. 

Sam was enthralled with the show. His eyes teared up when the family revealed their now clean home to the camera.

Sebastian looked at the TV for a moment then looked at Adam, who was scrolling through his texts to see what appointments he had tomorrow. Adam looked up at the man and smiled. He was getting used to his friends. He didn't have it in him to say anything but he enjoyed their company. 

Sebastian smiled back at Adam, then watched the show. 

They watched three episodes. Adam was tired but he didn't want to ask them to leave. He would just wait until they got tired and went home on their own. 

He blinked wearily at the TV.

"Spark Joy"

His eyes were so heavy, he looked over and Sam was still locked in on the screen. Abigail and Sebastian must have warmed up to it because so were they. 

"Spark Joy" 

Adam shut his eyes gently, just resting them. 

 

-

 

"What sparks joy for you?" the woman's voice asked

"Drugs"

She shook her head. 

"You do not know what joy is yet" she said softly. 

Adam didn't understand. 

 

"What is joy?" he asked

 

"Joy is being yourself. Let the self be comfortable being you" she whispered back.

"I don't understand" 

 

"I am practicing my english" 

-

Adam felt somebody lift him to his feet. They stumbled with him, walking to his bedroom. He flopped down on his bed and nuzzled up onto his pillow. 

He heard a strange metallic noise, then the light went out and he heard the door close. 

 

-

 

He woke up in a lot of pain. He reached for his glasses, as he turned to reach for the nightstand he felt a pull from his leg. He put on his glasses and pulled off his blanket. His left leg was handcuffed onto the wooden rail at the foot of his bed. Damn. Sebastian thought of everything. 

He looked around the room, Sebastian wasn't anywhere in the room. 

"Sebastian?" he called to the closed bedroom door. 

No response. 

He tried again, a little louder. 

Then a third time. He was in a lot of pain now and he was starting to think they locked him up and left him here. 

Sebastian stumbled into the room, his hair was matted on one side. He was wearing sweatpants as he rubbed his eyes. Sweatpants and nothing else. 

"Hm?"

Adam felt his face get hot; he pulled the blanket back onto him to cover the growing bulge in his pants. Sebastian's body was beautiful, and very pale. Adam's eyes wandered around the man's slender body. He wanted to touch it. 

"Stop staring, It was hot. I keep my room cold" 

He quickly turned his gaze elsewhere. 

"Leg hurts" he mumbled. 

Sebastian walked out of the room. When he came back he gave Adam a pill and a glass of water. 

"Thanks" he said, quickly swallowing the pill. He pulled his phone from his pocket '8:20' 

"I need to get up" he said to Sebastian, wiggling his handcuffed leg. 

He pulled a key out of his pocket and unchained his leg. 

"Sorry about this, can't be too safe" 

Adam nodded. He didn't like it but he wanted Sebastian to feel safe around him at any cost. 

He rose from the bed and walked into the kitchen, Sebastian followed sleepily behind him and sat at the table. 

"Hungry?" 

Sebastian nodded. 

Adam fried up eggs and bacon in a skillet and toasted bread. 

He handed the other man a plate and sat down. They ate in silence. 

Adam got up from the table and put the dirty dishes away. Sebastian followed along beside him. He moved to the front door, slipping one shoe on his foot that wasn't broken. He watched Sebastian follow him. 

"Gonna watch me work too?"

He shook his head. 

"I have my own work to do. If you don't come back in 4 hours, or come back high I'll flush the pills"

Adam nodded, then walked out to start his routine, slowly limping through the rows of bushes as he pruned. He found many bushes that needed to be freshened up but it was easy enough, a short trip to the front of his house to fill the can with Gunther Juice then a light sprinkling of the green water at the dirt. He finished around 11 and walked back to the house. 

Sebastian sat at the table with his laptop, he was so focused typing he didn't even notice Adam's entrance.

Adam sat at the corner of the table beside him, Sebastian glanced at him then looked back at the computer.

He watched the man staring intently at the glowing screen. Characters filled the screen as he typed away, occasionally fixing a few lines he'd previously written. He would sometimes push his hair to the side, make small grunts, rub his eyes or squint. 

He felt happy around him, he didn't have to talk, didn't have to fill awkward silences, he just watched the man work silently as he cycled through his adorable quirks. 

Adam felt a spark of joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want roses to look like these? (roses.jpg)
> 
> Then get down to Stardew Valley and get some GUNTHER JUICE (TM pending).
> 
> I've had a rough couple of days writing wise and I've got an exam to worry about for the next day or two. I'll be sure to have an update by Friday at the latest.
> 
> Love, Me.


	9. Here to Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam wants to get sober for Sebastian, but Sam wants whats best for his friends.

"Have a wonderful day" Adam smiled and waved as the truck drove off. Then he turned around and let the smile wipe off his face. He had an appearance to maintain for business but he hated that burn in his eyes that came with his forced smiles. 

He had spent an hour looking through his field for the two hundred or so roses he needed for today. A third of the roses he came across he snipped with shears and let them fall to the floor. Nothing less than perfect can leave this field. 

"Sorry" he would whisper as the flowers fell to the ground.

Adam was done for the day, three appointments down. He was starting to get hungry. He checked his phone '4:00'. He was late. He hadn't checked in with Sebastian since 11, he'd been so busy with his appointments he let the time slip away. 

He started hobbling quickly towards his house, he hoped Sebastian would be lenient. He hadn't noticed the pain in all the chaos of loading his flowers onto the trucks but now he felt the ache coming on. 

He was greeted at the porch by a smoke cloud blown in his face. He looked up at Sebastian, the fabric of his over-sized black sweater draped over the side of the porch railing, he didn't look upset.

"Sorry, lost track of time" he panted as he worked his way up the steps. 

When he'd reached the top Sebastian looked at him, taking a long drag of his cigarette. 

He blew it into Adam's face. It was wonderful. He'd started to associate cigarettes with Sebastian. Anytime they got close it was all he could smell. 

The smoke cloud dissipated and Sebastian threw his cigarette down, crushing it with his shoe. 

"You're late" 

"I know. I got caught up with work" 

"How do I know you didn't run off to get drugs?" 

Adam pouted, his lip stuck out as far as it could go. He couldn't prove that he wasn't high, maybe Dr. Harvey could but he didn't really want to involve anyone else in this arrangement. 

"Trust me?" 

Sebastian wasn't convinced. He folded his arms and looked up in thought.

"What do you wanna do on the date" 

He froze. He hadn't thought that far ahead yet. Adam had been preoccupied with keeping his thoughts off of the drugs. The beach? No, he didn't see Sebastian liking the outdoors. The saloon then? But they go so often already to play pool. He couldn't think of anywhere that would be secluded and romantic. Wait. There was one place like that. His own rose garden. But they were already here. So where then?  
-  
"Good, not high" Sebastian took out the orange bottle and handed Adam a pill. 

"What?" 

"You took too long to answer, which means you are definitely not high" 

A sad smile made its way onto Adam's face as he reached for the pill. He was glad Sebastian didn't throw the pills away at least. 

Adam followed as Sebastian walked back inside. On the table inside was a plate with a stack of sandwiches, Sebastian had already grabbed one and started eating.

He sat down at the other end of the table and grabbed a sandwich. 

"Thanks" 

 

-

The next morning after Sebastian unchained him Adam did his yard work, checked on Gunther, and filled orders while Sebastian worked at his computer inside. Adam set timers to remind himself when to come back inside. He didn't want to test Sebastian's patience anymore. 

Sam came to start his shift after he got off work. He and Sebastian talked while Adam went to shower and start laundry. 

Adam walked out of the bedroom with damp hair and looked around, Sebastian had left. Sam was sitting in front of the TV watching his show. 

He walked over, ducking under the television to sit down on the recliner. 

"So" Sam hit the pause button on the remote. 

"Hm?" 

"How was Sebastian?" 

"Fine" 

"Didn't try to touch him in his sleep?" 

Adam shook his head. 

"He handcuffed me to the bed" 

Sam laughed. 

"Typical Sebastian. I won't do that to you" He stood up and took the orange bottle from his pocket. 

He walked over to the dining room table and put the bottle down. 

"Test of endurance!" Sam smiled wickedly at Adam. 

"Don't try to cheat, I already counted them"

Adam gulped. 

"You want me to lose?" he asked quietly.

"No, I want you to choose to win on your own" Sam sat back on the couch 

"I'm just here to help" 

He could see them now. His happiness was just a few steps away. His whole body shuddered, he reminded himself of the date. This was all for the date. Just try to think of the date. But those pills were so tempting. He could sneak in after dark and put some ibuprofen in the bottle instead, or just take two and hope Sam lost count. 

They watched an episode of Sam's show together then Adam headed off to bed.

He tossed and turned, got out of bed a few times then talked his way back down. This was torture. His legs started to hurt, he couldn't tell if it was his mind making up the pain or if he actually needed the pill. He kept whispering to himself. 'Just think about the date' 

Sun shined through the bedroom window onto his face. Adam's eyes were heavy as he walked slowly towards the kitchen. Each step was agony.

He opened the orange bottle and looked into it. So many pills. They rattled inside the plastic tube, the white tablets called out to him: begging him to eat them. He reached a single finger in and slowly dragged one pill out.

He quickly closed the cap and put it back on the table. He swallowed the single pill. 

-

Sam woke up from the couch and walked over to the kitchen table, Adam had set out a plate of bacon and eggs for him. 

He poured all the pills out and counted them, inspecting the markings on each one as he did. 

He finished and beamed at Adam, who smiled weakly back. 

"I'm proud of you, I'll go on a date with you too if you want" 

Adam choked on his coffee. 

"No - I'm fine" 

Sam started eating his food. 

"Suit yourself, What are the plans for today?" 

"Usual routine" Adam said, checking his phone.   
"Order for 330 roses, then done with orders for the week"

Sam whistled.

-

The blonde followed Adam around his garden. He watched as Adam pruned the rose bushes, silently observing him. It was slightly annoying but he made up for it by carrying tools and fetched him Gunther Juice when he needed it. 

Eventually he put Sam to work. He let him prune the bushes while he walked behind and cut roses for his orders, placing each one in a padded wagon he carried behind him. 

They quickly made it through the entire field, Sam eventually began chatting about his family, his father who was fighting in the war, how he met Sebastian and Abigail in high school. 

Adam and Sam loaded the boxes onto the truck and walked back to the house.

Sam opened the door for Adam, giving him a firm pat on the back.

"Lets go check on Gunther" 

Adam nodded.

They flipped on the light in Gunther's room. He hadn't grown much; maybe he was full sized now? Adam hoped so. 

Sam took off his shoes and stepped into the pool. He began to pet Gunther, the slime let out happy gurgles.

"I thought slimes were supposed to be mean?"

They were. Adam had been in the mines before, he'd gone gem hunting a few times in the deeper part of the mines. Anytime he encountered a slime they were always immediately hostile, easily able to leave third degree burns with the acid they produced. He'd never gotten so much as a slight burn from Gunther's goo. 

"He's happy here. Gunther isn't scared of us like the ones in the mines" 

The slime made more squishing sounds as Sam hugged him tightly. 

"Guess love is all anyone needs" 

-

They sat down at the dining room table after washing their hands of Gunther Juice. Sam played on his phone for a few minutes then looked at Adam, who was replying to texts to set up appointments in the coming week. 

"I'm bored" 

"Same" 

Life was dull without drugs at the end of a rough day. Before, he'd made it through the day so that he could enjoy the night. He'd meet up with his plug at a stop equidistant from the city and he'd buy whatever she had to offer. She had recently moved to California, though Adam was sure it wasn't for the sandy beaches. Yet another reason to get sober - wouldn't have to find a new connect - unless he wanted to keep breaking his leg for the pills Harvey gave him. 

"What do sober people do for fun?" 

Sam sat with his finger on his lips thinking. 

"Talk?"

"'Bout what?"

"How'd you start doing drugs?" 

Shrugging, Adam admitted "Went to a club, guy sold me a pill".

"You just took a pill from a stranger?" 

Adam nodded. It wasn't the best of ideas but he had little regard for his own health and safety at the time. Sam looked curious but didn't delve any further into the topic. 

"Favorite color?"

"Blue?" 

The man asked whatever questions popped in his head. Adam wanted to ask a question now. He felt pretty confident that Sam wouldn't be offended at anything, he'd asked Adam some heavy questions so it was only fair. 

"Why do you care if I'm sober?" 

 

Sam stayed silent for a moment. 

The man sighed and looked at Adam "Honestly? I don't care" 

"Sebastian and Abigail had their reasons and I went along with it for them"

 

A slow nod was all Adam could respond with. He shouldn't have asked the question, he couldn't bring himself to look up anymore. His eyes followed the dark rings in the wooden table, reminding himself that he was a burden on everyone around him.

 

"I personally don't think we have any right to force you into sobriety" 

He stopped tracing the table. 

"Its also pretty rich, coming from Sebastian who's tried to quit smoking 4 times this year alone"

What was he saying? He looked up now; Sam's face was completely serious though he was looking up at the ceiling. 

"People have shit to deal with and how they deal with it is their own business" He stopped now, turning to face Adam.

"I will help you if YOU want to get sober, but don't do it for Sebastian or anyone else" 

A tear rolled down Adam's face as he stared across the table. He didn't have the words to describe how he felt. He was scared to agree with him, shocked that Sam had thought about this so much, and he felt accepted. Nobody in his life had told him it's okay to just get help in whatever form you could get it. He ran from his family for the same thing so how was Sebastian different? Who was Sebastian to judge him when he had vices of his own?

What now? What do I want to do? 

 

"I want this, for now I want to see where this takes me" 

 

Sam smiled and nodded his head "Then I'm here to help" 

-

 

 

"Adam" 

He felt a nudge on his shoulder. 

"Wake up Adam" 

Someone was poking his face now. 

"Adam, Sebastian is naked in your bed" 

He shot up and looked beside him: empty. Sam was hovering over him with a plate of pancakes. His hair was flat today, Adam had never seen it not spiked up with gel. 

Adam grunted, covering himself with the blanket. 

"I wanna sleep" 

"But these are friendship pancakes, I made them special for you" 

The blanket slowly pulled back from his face and Sam held the plate in front of his face. 

Adam whimpered and moaned "Fine, but I'm going to back to sleep after" 

The two of them ate pancakes on the bed. Sam made way too many for the both of them. They stuffed themselves until they couldn't move anymore. 

Sam held the plate in front of Adam, the last pancake. Sam looked like he was disgusted with himself, and with that last pancake. 

Adam shook his head furiously and laid back down. If he ate one more he was sure he'd puke. 

Sam put the last pancake on the nightstand and laid down too, pulling the blanket over him. 

"Is it okay if I nap here?" 

"Kay" Adam mumbled as he closed his eyes.

-

 

He felt someone walking on the bed. He shivered as they lifted up the blanket and slipped underneath it beside him. 

Sebastian. He was so warm. Adam could feel the heat radiating off his body as the blanket fell back down. He smelled good too: strawberries, or vanilla, or both.

He moved his hand under the blanket towards Sebastian's heat. He found his body and pulled him closer. 

"Hey" he whispered seductively as the body touched his. 

"Uh. Hey Adam"

He opened his eyes. That wasn't Sebastian's voice. 

Abigail's purple hair covered his face. He backed away from her quickly, falling off the bed onto the cold bedroom floor. 

He could hear Abigail and Sam slapping the mattress as they gasped for air between screams of laughter. 

"That shit was too funny" Abigail wheezed

"Adam you okay down there?" Sam said snorting. 

Adam crawled towards the bed and slithered back up into the blanket as their laughter died. 

"Sorry Abby" he whispered as he faced away from them and nuzzled into the bed again. 

"It was nice sonny, I haven't been touched like that since 1943" she replied in a croaky old woman voice. 

"I think that means you have to marry her now" 

He let out a small grunt. How was he still tired after all the sleeping he'd done? The chemicals in his body must be trying to readjust themselves he thought. 4th day of sobriety was the day for laying in bed all day. 

"Lets let Adam sleep Abby, he needs it" 

She grunted.   
"Fine, whatever lets go play with Gunther"


	10. Four Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam visits his family.

Footsteps echoed down the long, dark hallway; the old wood creaked beneath the pressure of each movement. Adam gave a quick glance as he passed by a room, it was filled with boxes, he could see a bed still underneath all the clutter. He stopped at a large portrait hung on the lilac wall surrounded in a black stenciled embroidery. Adam stood in the center, his older sister on his left, younger brother on his right. Behind them were his mother and father. His father's image still scared him, his cold blue eyes and stern face still sent chills down his spine. He held his breath as he looked at his mother, brother and sister. Their brown eyes squinting as they all smiled for the picture. 

He turned away and continued walking, he didn't breathe again until he had passed the next room on the left, the green tile barely visible from the corner of his eye. 

Adam could hear talking now, then laughter, then more talking. The wooden archway stood a few steps ahead of him, inhale, exhale, then he walked through. 

Trevor was the first to see him, his face lit up as he entered the room, the young boy stood up quickly and ran around the table to embrace Adam. 

"You're back!" 

Adam hugged his brother back lightly, the young boy let go and went to sit back at the table, patting the empty chair beside him. 

The air was still now. The talking had stopped, replaced now by the frogs chirping from the pond out back. Adam took the empty chair and pulled it out slowly, then took his seat.

There was already a plate set out for him, he took the chopsticks in his right hand and began serving himself.

"You were gone for a while this time" Danny said softly as Adam picked up the spoon in the plate of green beans in front of her. 

Adam nodded and dropped a helping of green beans on his plate. He crushed the steamed egg with his chopsticks and mixed it into rice, then lifted a portion with his chopsticks and began eating. 

A cough broke the silence, his mother clearing her throat; she resumed eating. 

The rest of the family followed suit. 

-

 

Plates clanged together as the family piled their dishes together. Adam's father rose from the table and walked out of the room. Moments later they heard the door of his office close. The sound of the ceramic plates rubbing together resumed. Adam lifted a small pile and walked it over to the kitchen.

A hand pulled his arm back as he reached for the sponge. His mother smiled down at him lovingly, her black hair was cut shorter now.

"Go play with your brother and sister, they miss you"

Adam nodded and walked out of the room. 

The television blared out action sequence music, Trevor stared intently at the flickering screen. His sister looked up from her phone as he entered the room, she pulled out a earbud from one ear and pushed her long brown hair behind her shoulder.

Adam took a seat on the couch between them as she spoke. 

"How long will you stay this time?" 

"Not long"

"Having fun over there?" 

"Yup" 

Danny nodded silently then looked back at her phone. 

-

Squeals of excitement came from Trevor, who was bouncing on the couch beside Adam, the show had finally ended. Adam reached out and patted the young boy on the head. 

Adam's mother entered the room, the front of her shirt slightly damp from standing at the sink.

"Bedtime, it's a school night" she said as she pushed a button on the TV. 

A grunt followed from Trevor, who crossed his arms tightly and began to stomp away. His small bare feet barely made a sound on the hardwood floor. 

Danny followed behind the boy, the girl turned to look back at Adam, then continued up the steps to her room. 

Adam leaned back on the couch silently as his siblings left. His mother made her way over to the couch, she squatted in front of him and put her hand out, gently squishing his cheeks together. 

"Did you miss us?"

"Mhm" he mumbled as she continued squeezing his mouth. She released her grasp. 

"How long has it been for you?" 

Sighing, Adam whispered "4 years". 

A stifled breath was the only reaction she gave, water in her eyes slowly formed. She lifted her hand and wiped her eyes and nose with her hand. Then softly cleared her throat. 

"You know you can come back sooner. We - I would appreciate it." 

"I will" 

His mother smiled down at him and tossed his hair back and forth, then she stood up and walked out of the room. 

When the sounds of her footsteps died Adam rose from the couch. 

Heading back through the long hallway, he could see the front door ahead of him. The sheer white lace curtain was illuminated by the porch light shining through the glass door. His footsteps reverberated again down the long empty passage. The light in the room on the left at the far end near the front door shone underneath the closed door. He held his breath. 

With each step he made his heart beat faster and faster. He passed the portrait, the green tiles, the dining room, he reached an arm out to grab the door knob. 

 

The door to his left opened. Adam's arm fell to his side. 

 

"Adam, you never listen" 

He didn't respond. His right hand went into his pant pocket, his fingers toyed with a small round pill. 

"Adam look at me" 

He didn't move, his eyes focused on the white lace screening the front door.

Loud steps reverberated through the hallway. His father grabbed him by the shoulder, turning him towards him, and shook the boy's body. 

The man yelled into his face "FUCKING LOOK AT ME".

 

He looked at the wall behind the man's head, his fingers grabbed the small pill in his pocket and held it tightly. 

A hand released one shoulder and was punched into Adam's stomach. The other arm let go of his shoulder and he dropped to his knees, both his arms wrapped around his stomach coughing in pain. 

"WHY DON'T YOU LISTEN"

He grabbed the boy by the collar of his shirt and shook him back and forth before throwing him to the side. He cursed and yelled at Adam who lay on the floor motionless. 

The skin on his stomach pulled against the wooden floor as the boy was dragged by his feet down the hallway. Adam opened his fist and carefully placed the white chalky pill into his mouth, he swallowed. 

The light came on and Adam was lifted up by his neck. The tile felt cold against his arms that lay limp by his side. Outside the window was only darkness, no birds or trees he could escape to. He looked at his father's face, everything was red except for his piercing blue eyes. The man's lips moved and Adam felt the hot breath burn his skin.

"You can't keep running - "

-

 

The skin on his stomach burned as he lifted the blanket off of him. Adam reached for the glasses on his nightstand then made his way to the bathroom. 

The light came on and Adam stared into the mirror. Purple blotches had formed on his neck, his stomach had streaks of red and purple running down it. He closed his eyes tightly as he pulled splinters from the tender skin. 

This was going to be hard to explain if anyone sees it. As the thought crossed his mind, Abigail walked into the bathroom. 

"You're finally awa- WHAT THE FUCK" She screamed as she looked at the man's bruised body. 

"What happened to yo- did Sam do that to you?"

White cream squirted out of a tube and Adam looked back into the mirror, rubbing the cream into his stomach. 

"No Abby, he didn't. I'm fine" 

Her eyes widened as she walked closer slowly, taking a careful look at the bruising on his neck. 

"I don't understand, I just saw you, you were asleep. Now you look like you got mugged"

Fingers touched his neck as he twisted the lid of the tube closed and placed it into the drawer. He flinched and pulled away when the fingers pushed into his bruises. 

"What the fuck Abby"

"Those are fucking real"

Anger seethed within him. Four days. That was his limit without the drugs. He couldn't keep doing this every four days, no date was worth that. 

He swatted Abigail's hand away from his neck. 

"Deals off, I can't do sobriety" 

"What are you talking about?" 

The man's fist tightened as he turned to look at her.

"Just leave" he growled. 

Abigail's face mirrored his anger as she hissed back at him. 

"Not unless you tell me why" 

His grip loosened, he focused on breathing deeply, mad was something he never wanted to be, that wasn't how he wanted to live. The muscles in his neck sent out spikes of pain for each breath he took but he continued. 

\- 

Adam took a seat at the dining room table, he'd washed his face and put on clean clothes to cover most of the bruising. Abigail sat across from him, her face still twisted in a scowl. 

"I'm not from here" 

"I know that, you're from the city" 

"From a city, not any city around here" 

What was the use of this? Nobody ever believed him when he'd told them, though he usually told strangers he'd met out in the city when he was high. 

"Okay so? Why does that matter" 

"Just- You aren't going to believe me so there's no point" 

Her arms crossed and she began tapping her foot on the table's leg impatiently. 

"Spill it" 

"I don't even understand it all myself"

Her tapping grew louder. 

"I'm not from this world, or this universe, or plane or whatever this is"

Her scowl started to soften, the tapping stopped. 

"Without the drugs, I can't stay here for more than four days" 

The scowl returned. 

"That's about the worst lie I've ever heard" 

Adam pulled his glasses off and massaged the corners of his eyes. 

"You don't believe me, so just go" his hand waved to the door. 

"I do believe you. Nobody would ever think of a lie that bad, so it must be the truth" 

Her head was propped up in her hands as she stared into Adam's eyes. Her eyes were wide and she had on a huge grin. 

"Tell me more"


	11. Off the Wagon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So long, sobriety. Adam's back to being Adam.

"THAT"

Abigail sat back in her chair sporting a triumphant grin; her arms stretched up over her head. 

"Is the secret I wanted to hear" 

"So you understand why I need the drugs?" 

The grin faded and her arms fell back down. 

"So you can avoid going home?"

Adam solemnly nodded. 

Her face was serious again. Adam was sure she believed him, she looked surprised at everything he'd admitted but she didn't seem to think he was crazy. Though he did remember Sebastian and Sam saying she was into weird stuff.

"What is it about drugs that lets you stay here longer?" 

A shrug was Adam's response. 

"So let me get this straight" The chair scraped against the wood floor as she stood up and began pacing the room. 

"You have some power that lets you come here, but only when you are high. You don't want to go home because your Dad's a piece of shit"

Adam nodded. His aching body lifted from his chair and moved to the couch, gently laying down across it. 

Tension lifted from his body slowly, replaced now by a static tingling sensation. His eyes closed and he could see the static too. White dots flared across his vision, he could feel each individual muscle in his face pull upwards. The white dots looked like bunnies. A whole family- no a whole world of white bunnies hopped around inside his eyelids. 

Abigail's voice trailed away as he watched them dance. The bunnies clustered up in a tight group, then dispersed outwards all around his eyes. Their soft bunny tails wiggling at him as they rehearsed choreography.

A giggle escaped his lips as one of the bunnies fell, interrupting the dancing. He was gonna be in big trouble. 

"Uh oh" Adam whispered to the bunny.

The bunny quickly got up and ran out of the formation, poor thing was embarrassed. The others continued despite their missing member. 

Adam continued giggling as they did splits and back-flips.

Suddenly, he couldn't breathe. The air wasn't going in anymore and he didn't know why. The bunnies scattered as he opened his eyes. 

His nose was held shut by Abigail's fingers. 

"What did you take to come back?" she hissed, as she released her grasp on his nose. 

"I hid drugs in the couch a long time ago, just in case, ya know.." he winked at her, then winked again. He could feel the muscles that pulled his eyelids closed, he wanted to see if he could blink without moving them. The winking continued. 

"Sebastian is going to kill me" she said as she slapped Adam's knee. 

Adam frowned at her "Sebastian is nice, he wouldn't do that, lets go ask him" 

Abigail tried to keep Adam pinned down onto the couch but he managed to wiggle out of her grasp. He ran out the door, his bare feet slapping the wood on the porch. 

He could hear Abigail screaming after him as he ran through wet grass. Something hit his foot while he ran and Adam stumbled down onto the floor, he quickly righted himself but he felt he could go faster if he used all four of his legs. Horses run fast and they use four legs so why couldn't he? He tried it out but soon discovered his front two legs weren't long enough to keep galloping with his back legs. 

"Fucking stop that you look stupid" the purple haired creature screamed from behind him. 

It was right, he was people and he had to run like people. His upper body straightened out and he ran as fast as he could up the steep trail leading up the mountain. He couldn't wait to see Sebastian, to tell him all the fun things he'd done. He could tell him about his day with Sam, how Sam made him pancakes, or about his Mom's food. His mom was a much better cook than Sam. 

There it was, Sebastian's house. So big and filled with science. Abigail wasn't behind him anymore, she was too slow to keep up. Adam had time, he looked at the small hill in front of him and positioned himself. Tucking his head between his knees, he pushed off and began rolling down the hill. Adam felt like Sonic the hedgehog he was going so fast, but then a bush slowed his speed. Adam un-curled himself and tried to stand up but the earth was shaking too much, he couldn't do it. 

Crawling now, Adam moved towards the front door. He could hear the clanging noises as the earth shook beneath him. 

"Sebastian wake up" He called out to the house. 

It was so far, he would never make it crawling like this. 

"SEBASTIAN" this time he yelled. 

 

There was a loud clanging noise then he saw something moving outside the house. A skinny black bear moved in the darkness. It was so thin Adam knew it would eat him, he curled up into a ball, hoping to deter it with his armadillo skin. 

"Adam?" 

That was Sebastian's voice. Adam stretched himself back out and started crawling towards the noise. 

"Sebastian - wait - It's not my - fault" 

Adam looked back, Abigail's purple hair zoomed past him towards Sebastian, who was no longer a skinny black bear. 

"What the fuck Abby" 

"Look, I know this looks bad, and there is a good explanation for it, but first we have to deal with that"

Adam barked at the woman's finger pointing at him. He sat down on his knees and began panting. 

"Fuck, fine" 

The dog scurried over towards Sebastian and nudged his leg with his head, waiting to be pet. He looked up at him and stuck his tongue out, panting more. 

"No, bad dog" 

"Owrf" whimpered Adam. Adam wasn't a bad dog, he was good. No wait, he wasn't a dog. Adam quickly stood up and looked at Sebastian. 

"Hey"

"What did you take this time?" 

"Drugs from another world" 

The man sighed and walked over to the garage where he had been working.

"Go back home, I'll head over in a bit" 

Adam watched sadly as he picked up his tools and put them onto a workbench, then he closed the garage door. 

An arm grabbed his wrist tightly and pulled him. Abigail walked back the way they came, Adam moped behind her.

-

They waited for Sebastian on the floor of the kitchen. Adam laid on the cold tile as Abigail rubbed his hands. It felt like magic. She could move all the muscles in his hand from the outside. Then she grabbed a piece of sliced turkey from the kitchen and let Adam chew on little pieces she tore off of it. Abigail was nice. 

The door swung open and Sebastian tossed his backpack onto the dining room table.

The vibrations of the man's shoes moved through the floor and sent a chill up Adam's spine. He could feel him moving closer and closer.

"What happened to your neck?" The black hair moved down towards Adam. 

Adam stared up at the man, he looked so beautiful when he was concerned for his well being. He reached a hand up to touch his face.

Abigail stopped the hand "You're going to need to sit for this" she spoke to the other man. 

He sat beside Adam, gently touching the bruising on his neck. He couldn't feel the pain anymore. All he felt was Abigail massaging the hand she'd grabbed.

His shirt slowly lifted up, then over his head. 

"What the fuck" he heard as he was caught in the fabric neck hole. 

The shirt made its way off his head and Adam looked down at the bruises on his neck and belly. They were bigger now, an abstract piece he would've called 'Yellow and Purple, a Passion Piece'

Sebastian's fingers gently touched the art, Adam watched his face wince in pain as he looked down at his body. 

The other man held Adam's hand, seeing Abigail massaging the other palm, and began pressing on it as well. 

"Tell me what happened" 

The voices continued talking but Adam couldn't focus on them. He let his body sink into the floor, the pulsing in his hands extended all throughout his body. His bare chest received signals of hot air moving over him.   
Then he was on the beach, the hot sun beamed down on his face as he lay buried in the sand. Each grain of sand he could feel move around his body. The waves pushed in, the water kicked up the sand around his toes and tiny crabs scuttled around his feet. 

Adam wished there was coconut water. His lips smacked together and his body wiggled to release himself from the sand. Then something lifted his head and put a glass to his lips. It wasn't coconut water but It'd have to do. The sun dried him out like a grape in - whatever made grapes into raisins, but grapes were better than raisins. 

"Adam"

He felt something squeeze his cheeks together.

"Mom?" 

"Yes, its bed time lets get to bed" 

"Is it a school night?" 

"Uh. Yeah its a school night" 

"Okay" 

The pulling at his arms helped Adam out of the sand and led him away from the beach. 

His body fell onto his bed and the blanket wrapped around him. 

"Goodnight Mom" 

"Night"


	12. Drug Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What would Adam do for a sandwich?

The pain woke Adam from his sleep, his body ached all over. The skin on his stomach stung as the blanket rubbed on the scratched skin. He tried to lift up from the bed but fell back in pain. He'd done too much yesterday after already being injured. He gently touched his neck, the pain from his bruises had come back.

Abigail and Sebastian were probably pissed. He'd fucked it up on day four. It was fine, he could accept his loss, there was nothing he wouldn't do to stay here, even if it meant being alone.

Adam tried to roll his body out of the bed, thinking it might be easier to get up once his lower body was on solid ground. His legs swung out from under the blankets and made their way onto the cold wood floor. The muscles in his stomach screamed in pain as he tried to lift his body from the bed. Adam continued to wiggle, trying to get better footing to try again, but he went too far. He fell to the floor but his arms caught the floor before his head. Pain reverberated through him as he landed with a thud on the floor. 

Footsteps came from outside his room and the door flung open though he couldn't move his head to see who it was.

Purple hair flowed over him as Abigail rolled his body over onto his back. 

"You're all kinds of fucked up now" she said looking down at Adam's face, still contorted in pain. 

He tried to chuckle but the bruised ribs stopped him. 

The woman stood up and rushed out of the room. Moments later she returned with a glass of water. She lifted Adam's head slowly and slipped a pill between his grit teeth. 

He struggled with the liquid in his mouth. The movement burned his throat but he held back tears and swallowed. 

"Don't try to move again, just stay there" she said as her hand combed through Adam's hair. "Sam and Sebastian will be back soon and we can get you back into bed"

"Sorry Abby" his voice was raspy and weak. 

She shushed him softly "It's okay, nobody's upset with you. Sebastian believes you, he couldn't deny it seeing you like this" 

His eyes closed as she played with his hair. Adam didn't deserve these friends. What had he done for them besides burden them with his intoxicated antics? Yet they still wanted to help him after he'd broken their agreement and made a mess of everything. Adam wanted to cry but he tried to contain himself, he didn't want to be in any more pain than he already was. 

-

The two of them sat on the floor for what felt like hours. The pain subsided but not as much as Adam would have hoped. His muscles still ached, he was still unable to lift his head from the floor.

The sound of the front door stirred Abigail, she rose to her feet and ran out of the bedroom. Adam could hear her speak softly outside the door.

The door creaked opened and Sebastian walked into the room. He placed his hands on his hips as he looked down at the man sprawled out on the floor. 

Sam cautiously entered the room and sat at the foot of the bed near Adam's head. The blonde man's nose scrunched up as he looked over Adam. 

"I leave for a day and look what happens" his head shook but his stiff gelled hair stood in place. 

"Think you can make it to the bed? Or you need help?" Sebastian said bending down over him; he looked like he hadn't slept last night: dark bags hung under his slightly red eyes.

Adam tried to lift his head again but could only lift it inches before settling back down. 

With a weak smile he said in a horse voice "I've fallen and I can't get up".

Abigail wasn't in the room but he was sure she would've laughed. Sam smiled a bit but Sebastian just rolled his eyes. Both of them positioned themselves on either end of him and picked him up. Sam grabbed his arms, Sebastian his legs. He closed his eyes as the men pulled him up to the bed by his extremities, the painkillers weren't enough to keep him from feeling like he'd be split in half. They rotated him carefully and laid his head gently on a pillow. 

Sam folded the blanket he was now laying on, covering him like a broken purple taco. 

He wiggled a tiny bit, signaling his comfort and gratitude. Sam and Sebastian sat on the foot of the bed. 

"So.. drug magic" Sam said patting a tune on his knee. "Anything else happen after I left?" 

"Nope, that's about it" Adam said softly. 

"Should we talk about it?" he glanced between Sebastian and Adam. 

Sebastian rubbed his eyes and yawned "Not now, I need sleep".

The blonde nodded "I'll check on Abigail". He stood up from the bed and walked out of the room. 

"Sorry about yesterday" whispered Adam once they were alone. 

Sebastian gave a slight nod then fell backwards by Adam's feet. "Don't worry about it" he said through a yawn. 

Worry was all Adam could do in his state. He didn't want to lose his new friends, especially not Sebastian, but he also couldn't be sober. Maybe if he could learn to control the power he wouldn't need the drugs anymore. He'd tried to before but it wasn't something he even thought about: he got high, then he was in this world. 

Adam shut his eyes and tried to summon his power. Where should he try to go? He'd only been in two worlds and he didn't want to go home. Maybe it didn't have to be another world, just move from here to the other side of the bed. He pictured the bed, he saw himself laying in it, saw Sebastian laying at his feet. The image in his head sputtered as he tried to push himself over just a few inches. 

"Are you okay?" the sound broke his concentration and he opened his eyes, Sebastian was staring at him from the end of the bed. 

"Trying to move myself" he gasped out, he realized he hadn't taken a breath while he focused. 

The bed creaked as Sebastian wiggled his way up the bed, he lay on his side facing Adam with his head on the pillow. He yawned and closed his eyes. 

"Keep trying" 

Adam shut his eyes and focused. He pictured Sebastian now on the other side of the bed and tried to move himself closer to him. The image kept fading as other thoughts passed through his mind, he could see himself moving in his head but he didn't feel it. He opened his eyes to be sure but he hadn't moved at all. 

He blew out from his closed lips and scrunched his face. He reached his hand down into his pocket and pulled out his phone. 

'more drugs plz <3' 

A beep came from the other room, followed by Abigail coming through the door holding a glass of water. 

"You need more already?" her eyes squinted in disapproval. 

Adam shook his head "I have an idea, I want to try to use my power but this time I'll do it consciously" 

Her face lit up as she took the bottle out and shook a pill into her hand. 

His mouth stretched open and Abigail dropped in the pill. He swallowed as she sat down beside him. 

Adam closed his eyes and waited. He felt the blanket lift up and Abigail placed another pill into his hand. 

"In case you get stuck" she whispered, closing his hand around the pill. 

He took a deep breath, he hoped it wouldn't come to that. The image of his bed came back, this time he added Abigail to it. 'Just move' he thought. 'Just move'. 

The bed shook slightly and he felt his body move, his eyes opened. He hadn't moved, Abigail had gotten up and was walking out of the room. 

He closed his eyes and tried again. 

-

Adam hoped Sebastian was asleep. He felt stupid closing and opening his eyes every few seconds to see if he'd succeeded and didn't want anyone else to see him. He moved his head slightly to look at the man beside him. Sebastian was fast asleep. His hair was matted from the pillow and his lips hung open a tiny bit, letting a tiny bit of droll drip from his bottom lip. Adam smiled, he was still cute even with drool running down his face. 

The tips of his fingers were starting to feel numb, the pain in his chest was almost gone too. Adam lifted his arm out from the blanket taco and reached it over towards Sebastian's face. He couldn't quite reach him. He turned his body, it didn't hurt that badly now, and tried again. One finger made it to the face and Adam poked the man's pale skin. Sebastian scrunched up his face and rubbed it with his hand before returning to normal. Adam poked again and smiled at the grumpy face Sebastian made. After the third time, Sebastian turned over. This time Adam's face scrunched up, now looking at the messy pile of hair. 

He felt his stomach growl and he looked down at the sound. He could probably make it to the kitchen, he wasn't in that much pain anymore. Adam pushed the cover off of him, unwrapping himself and tossing it over Sebastian. Slowly, he pushed his body up with his elbows, making it a few inches off the bed before falling back down in pain. He let out a soft whimper. 

A sandwich would be nice: sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on toasted wheat bread. He could see it when he closed his eyes. No wait, he fried up an egg in his brain kitchen and added it on top of the turkey. He sat down at the table with the beautiful sandwich and a glass of lemonade with ice. His eyes watered, he could taste the sandwich in his mouth: feel the watery yolk as it burst, the crunch of the lettuce. He wanted it so badly. He pictured the kitchen: the black counter tops, the white tile floor; the refrigerator shined rays of light as it opened. Everything he needed to be happy was in that fridge. His heart jumped as the door swung open and he saw the carton of eggs, the head of lettuce. It was all waiting for him. He wanted to be there, more than anything he'd ever wanted. To taste that delicious savory, salty goodness and wash it down with a cold glass of sweet lemonade. The sandwich floated above his head and he tried to grab it, each time it would fly away, just out of his reach.

"Adam?" 

Adam watched as the sandwich flew far away from him. He felt his eyes begin to water as the taste of the sandwich left his mouth. He felt cold, the sandwich had warmed his heart and it had left him an empty, cold, shell of a man. 

"Hey, wake up" 

The sandwich was a metaphor for his life: the sandwich was all his hopes and dreams that flew away just out of reach. Tears poured down his face now and he sniffled to keep the snot in his nose. His body was so, so cold.

A quick hand made contact with his face, startling his eyes open. 

Abigail was smiling down at him, her purple locks cast in a wide net around his head. 

"Ouch. Why'd you slap me" whimpered Adam as he rubbed his stinging cheek. 

"You did it" she squealed shaking the man's bare shoulders. 

A growl came from his stomach again as he looked sadly up at Abigail "I'm hungry, can I have a sandwich?". 

The woman turned her head "Sam, come make Adam a sandwich". 

Sam was sitting at the dining room table to the Adam's left, he looked shocked. Adam looked around him now, he was laying on the kitchen floor, not in the bed anymore. He did it, he used the power. Adam wanted to be excited about it but he was so hungry. 

He just wanted a sandwich.


	13. Lost Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

Adam's hands grasped his mother's finger tightly. He looked across the open space in horror. A crowd of children were running, screaming, laughing. It was too much, he buried his face in his mother's pant leg and sobbed as she tried to pull her finger away.

She pat him on the head and played with his hair "Go play Adam". 

He shook his head furiously into the leg. He was scared. What if he got lost, or trampled, or hit his head. 

Adam felt a tug at his sleeve and he peeked out from the leg. Danny held her hand towards him smiling. She was always braver than Adam, she caught the bugs that tried to hurt him and threw them outside.

"I'll push you on the swing" she said.

Adam liked the swing. He sniffled and wiped his nose on a chubby arm, then grabbed her hand. She pulled him, running towards the last open swing. His little legs could barely keep up with her pace. Bits of plastic squished beneath his feet and his shoes let out soft squeaks each time his heel went down. Danny always protected him so he felt safe with her as they moved the crowds of kids. 

They made it to the empty swing before anyone else and she sat Adam down on the thick strip of plastic. She took Adam's hands and wrapped them around the plastic coated chains that were slightly sticky. 

"Hold on tight" she said before she pushed at his back. 

She pushed, then ran back to push again as he swung back. Adam giggled as the wind pushed against his face, blowing his short brown hair back and forth as he flew.

Danny kept pushing, Adam went higher and higher, he laughed harder the higher he went. If he let go he could probably fly like one of the birds overhead. He wouldn't do that though, Danny said to hold on. He shut his eyes and smiled wide, letting the air blow strong against his face.

"Higher" he yelled with his eyes still closed, his mouth filled air as he lunged forward. He wanted to be able to touch a bird. He wanted to go higher than anyone had ever gone.

Then the rushing air stopped, the sound of children screaming stopped, the metallic hinge of the swing set stopped. He heard his shoes let out a small squeak. 

Adam felt every nerve in his body pinch, his whole body tingled and he opened his eyes. It was dark outside though he still stood in the playground, the wind that blew was colder than before. He looked around for Danny and his Mother but nobody was around. He was alone, in the dark. Adam sat on the bits of plastic and started to cry into his knees.

Everyone left him. He was scared, Adam was afraid of the dark when he didn't have his sheep lamp to keep him safe: monsters would be able to get him. 

A bird crowed from a tree behind him. Adam looked up from his wet knees with wide eyes, now hearing sounds coming from all around him. Monsters were coming to eat him, he had to get home. He stood up and brushed a sticky chunk of plastic off his butt and began to run. 

His shoes squeaked quickly at his pace. He ran across the street, he knew he wasn't supposed to but he was scared and there were no cars around. He ran down the side walk, then turned right at the pole with the red sign. He kept running until he saw the house at the end of the street. The porch light was on and he smiled as he got closer to home. He went to walk up the steps to the front door but there were no steps. He looked around him, this was his house. He followed the right street, this should be his house on the corner of these two streets, but he looked up couldn't recognize it. The front door had no glass to look through, the outside wasn't the same purple wood, it was brick. 

They left him. They moved houses and they left him all alone at the park. He squatted down on the sidewalk, his shoes gave a long sad squeak and he cried into his knees again. He would get eaten by monsters and nobody would ever find him.

Bright white light shone through his eyelids and Adam opened his eyes, scared that he was in the way of a car.

He wasn't on the street anymore, he was in a big wooden room. He looked down and he saw a white circle all around him. Tiny colorful stones sat along the edge of the circle and he could make out tiny words in the circle but he couldn't read very well yet. He saw a giant black pot, a huge cloud of green smoke came out from it. 

His stomach turned, he saw a big scary man in front of him. He wore a long black robe and a black hat, he had purple hair and a purple beard. Adam fell back onto his butt and scooted away from the man, hitting stones as he moved outside of the circle. 

The man didn't say anything, he just watched Adam crawl backwards until he hit the wall. His heart was beating quickly, he didn't know how to get out, he wanted to go home, he wanted to find his mom. He watched the purple man, he wasn't moving, he just stood there watching him. He didn't look like he was mean maybe he could help Adam. 

"Hello?" Adam's soft voice cracked "I'm Adam, whats your name?" 

The man snapped his fingers and a chair appeared behind him as he sat down. Adam smiled excitedly, he loved magic.

"I am the Watcher" his voice was deep and powerful. 

"Do you do magic tricks?" Adam scooted closer to the man. 

He shook his head "I watch" 

"Watch what?" he said excitedly, he liked to watch TV, maybe he liked to watch TV too. 

The man cleared his throat and said "I watch this plane of existence, to see that the spirit and physical do not intertwine". He placed a finger on his mouth as he looked at Adam curiously. 

"I watch Pokemon" Adam said as he smiled, "Pikachu is my favorite". 

"You" he said, moving the finger from his mouth to Adam "do not belong here".

Adam tilted his head curiously and recited "I live at 492 Calmon street I'm lost, can you help me get home?".

The man pursed his lips and furrowed his brow, moving the finger back to his lips.

"Tell me how you got here" he leaned closer now, inspecting Adam as if he were some kind of animal. 

"I was on the sidewalk, then there was light, then I was here" he pointed to the circle. 

"Not here -" the man pointed to the circle " Here " he waved his hands around in the air. 

"I was at the park on the swing, then i was all alone in the dark, and I couldn't find my house" Adam said sadly. He was glad he wasn't outside anymore, it didn't look like any monsters could get in here. 

The large man rolled his eyes at Adam and looked closer at him. The man looked all around him, he waved a finger in the space around Adam's body. 

He shrugged and said "Don't come back" then he pushed something behind Adam's head. 

White light surrounded Adam again for half a second, then he was back at the playground, the sun shone down on him, children were playing. 

"ADAM" he turned quickly to look for his sister's voice. She was running towards him from the swing set a few paces away. Adam reached out to hug her, tears running from his face. 

"Why did you jump? I told you to hold on tight" She slapped his hands down and flicked his forehead. 

"I didn't jump- I was all alone - in the dark - and I couldn't find you - then a purple man did magic" his voice shook as he cried out the words.

"What are you talking about? Come on" she pulled his arm "you have to push me now". 

Maybe it was just a dream, Adam was glad to be back and out of the dark. He lifted up his shirt to dry his face then followed after Danny. 

-

Adam climbed up onto chair and picked up his chopsticks. He looked at the food spread across the table and smiled. Adam loved food, chicken wings were his favorite. He picked up the lid of the big red bowl beside him and scooped a baseball sized lump of rice onto his plate. 

"Chicken" he said pointing to the plate of wings with a chopstick as he looked to his left at his mother. 

"Veggies too" he heard from his right. His father took a spoonful of green beans and placed them onto Adam's plate beside the pile of rice. 

He smiled and nodded. He didn't tell anyone that he liked green beans, Danny hated them and he didn't want to make her feel bad.

He picked a bean up and began chewing it, making a sick face towards Danny. His mother picked up a few wings with a big spoon and dropped it onto his plate. 

"What did you kids do today?" asked his father as Adam was tearing into the delicious meat. 

"We played on the swing" said Danny, wiping her mouth on a napkin. 

"Adam jumped even though I told him not to" she added. 

His mother gave him a disapproving look.

Adam shook his head furiously and swallowed his food. 

"Did not. I was swinging, then It turned night and I ran to the house but I couldn't find it, then I was inside a room and this purple hair man did magic to bring be back" 

He looked around the room, hoping someone would believe him. Danny and his mother continued eating, ignoring his story, but his father stared at him. His blue eyes pierced Adam, his face contorting into a look he'd never seen before. Adam stuck out his bottom lip. 

"Do you believe me?" he whined.

His father didn't reply.

 

-

 

He reached his arms out to his mother. She held the baby carefully as she passed it into Adam's arms. It was heavy. Adam struggled to keep it lifted in his arms, then let it slowly fall down onto his lap, supporting it's head like his mother had done. He wiggled his legs under the baby, trying to pull the covers up over his feet with his toes.

The baby coed at the movement. Adam watched as he gave a toothless grin. He rubbed his bald head and smiled. He was excited to have a baby brother. With him around He and Danny could play more games: they could dress the baby up and teach him to swing. Adam wiggled in excitement, inciting more coos from the baby.

He pulled the baby up close to him and hugged him tightly, he closed his eyes and felt the baby's tiny heartbeat through his chest. He was so excited for him to grow up, they would have so much fun playing Super Mario or swimming at the pool or watching TV.

Then it happened again, the baby's heartbeat was gone and when he opened his eyes he was in the big magic room, not in the circle this time but next to it. Adam frowned. He wanted to play with the baby more, but all he had to do was find the purple hair man to send him home. 

He stood up and searched around the room. He walked around the room and looked behind the big black pot but didn't see the man anymore. He found a big wooden door at the end of a hallway but he couldn't open it. At the other end of the room he found another door that would open.

The giant wooden door was heavy, but with a little work Adam was able to open it. He could see the outside, maybe the man went for a walk. It was day time and it was warm outside so Adam walked out, carefully closing the door behind him. He was up high on a hill, stone steps led down into a forest. He looked back at the house, it was a huge stone tower covered in vines. Adam stared in amazement, the man lived in a castle. 

Adam looked back out towards the world, he could see the the ocean from here, a little town far in the distance behind the forest, everything was so beautiful. Adam wanted to go see the ocean but he had to look for the purple man. He skipped down the stone steps towards the forest, Adam was an adventurer in a new world. Maybe there were pokemon in the forest that he could catch and make them his friends. The thought excited him and he began to run down the steps into the trees. The trees grew high above him, the ground was thick with bushes and tall grass that he had to carefully step through.

Then he saw a clearing in the trees, a massive body of water stood before him and across it he saw two boys with brown hair sitting on a pier. 

"Hey" he shouted across the water. 

The two of them looked up at him, one of them was thinner and had on a fancy button up shirt, the other had a rounder face and was wearing a black hoodie. They waved at him. 

He ran around the water's edge towards them. Maybe they could tell him how to catch a pokemon, or where to find them. They looked like one of the duos he saw in the show that would have matching pokemon to fight, maybe water types, or bug. 

"Why are you out in the forest alone?" called the fancy boy who was now standing. 

"I get stuck here sometimes, I'm looking for the purple man to send me home" Adam panted, his head was dizzy from all the running. He took a few deep breaths and held out his hand. 

"I'm Adam, can you tell me where to find pokemon?" he asked, he opened his eyes wide with excitement. 

"I'm Riley, this is Shane and no I don't think we have pokemon here" the fancy boy said as he pointed down at the boy sitting, watching the water. He held out his hand. 

Adam smiled and grabbed the boy's hand but before he could shake it he was gone. 

He was standing in his mother's bedroom again, his mother was still on the bed, the baby was on the bed beside her where he had been sitting. His mother's eyes were filled with horror as she saw him standing beside the bed. 

"Adam - what - where did you go?" her voice was shaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't read my first work, you won't know who Riley is, it's probably not important though.


	14. Wet Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam is learning how to control his power.
> 
> Caution: NSFW, unless your into that kind of thing.

"Ouch"

A thorn lodged itself deep into Adam's finger. Blood bubbled from around the wound and he carefully pulled the thorn out with his teeth. He wiped the blood away on his pants and continued pruning the bushes. This section of his garden was in full bloom, the deepest red rose strain was in this row. He pulled one to his face and inhaled deeply, but couldn't smell anything from it. 

He saw from the corner of his eye a black figure move past the row of flowers. Sebastian? He dropped his shears and ran towards it. He looked to the right as he made it out of the garden. Sebastian stood at his front door, then walked inside. 

Adam ran for the house. What was Sebastian doing here?

The front door swung open and he heard movement from his bedroom, he walked over and slowly opened the door. Sebastian was sitting on the side of the bed. He nudged Adam over with his head. 

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he cautiously walked towards the man. 

"Waiting for you" he replied.

Adam knelt down in front of the man and sat his chin on his knee. The black jeans were skin tight and smooth against his skin. Sebastian rubbed his hands through Adam's hair. Adam felt his heart beat quicken at the man's touch. Adam stood up and leaned towards Sebastian. He looked him in the eyes and pressed their foreheads together. 

"Sorry I made you wait" he whispered, then gave the man's lips a soft peck and smiled gently. 

Sebastian pulled the back of his head closer to his face, his mouth opened and kissed the man deeply. Adam gently shoved Sebastian down onto the bed and fell down onto him, pressing his lips against the man's soft neck. He ran his own finger's through Sebastian's long hair, hearing soft moans each time he kissed a new spot on his neck. He pulled a hand out of the black hair and placed it on Sebastian's stomach, slowly lifting up the black tee shirt -

Adam felt his body collide with something hard, making a loud thud. He squirmed in pain, pushing his throbbing erection off of the floor it had just made contact with. 

Something stirred from above him. Adam looked around in horror, it was dark all around him but he knew exactly where he was. Sebastian's room. 

"Sorry Sebastian, go back to sleep" he whispered up at the bed as he rose to his feet. When Sebastian saw him he shuffled in the bed. 

"W- What are you doing here?" he stammered, Adam could see through the dark he was bunching the blanket up over his chest. 

"I don't know I just woke up here" Adam blushed and turned to leave but Sebastian grabbed his hand. 

"Just sleep here so you don't have to walk all the way home"

This must still be a dream, Sebastian was asking him to get into bed with him. Either way he wasn't going to refuse. Adam watched Sebastian scoot over to the wall and pull back the blanket. Adam laid down and Sebastian threw the blanket back over him. 

"So you still can't control it?" the man asked. 

Adam shook his head but realized Sebastian probably couldn't see him. "Not really, I keep popping into random places" he knew this wasn't one of those times but Sebastian didn't have to know that. 

He was laying on his back, he was debating whether he should turn away from Sebastian or towards him. If he turned away Sebastian might think he wasn't interested, but toward he might think he was too forward. He stayed on his back and stared up at the dark ceiling uncomfortably. He heard rustling from Sebastian's side of bed as he turned to face Adam. He decided to turn too.

"I'm still waiting on that date" Adam could see him smiling through the darkness. 

"Even though I broke the rules?" he frowned. 

Sebastian inched closer "Four days is close enough". Adam chuckled and followed his lead, scooting closer. 

They met in the middle of the bed, their faces inches apart. Sebastian lifted his hand and placed it on Adam's hip. His fingers pulled at the elastic band of his underwear. 

"Thought that's what I saw" he snickered. 

His body shivered as Sebastian rubbed his hand on the fabric at his hips. He moved his hand slowly to the other man placing it on his hip, but quickly took it away. Sebastian wasn't wearing anything.

Sebastian's pulled his hand back saying "Sorry, didn't know I'd have a guest tonight" then grabbed Adam's hand that lingered on the bed and placed it back on his hip. 

This had to be a dream. Adam could feel his own heartbeat in his ears as his fingers brushed on Sebastian's bare skin. Sebastian's face moved closer and gave Adam a soft peck on the lips.

"Am I still dreaming?" Adam asked quietly once the man's lips left his. 

"Yes Adam, this is a dream" he heard before Sebastian moved his body closer to his, pushing his erection up against his own. Sebastian's hand made its way underneath the band of elastic around his hips and pulled the band down slightly before connecting his lips again to Adam's. Adam leaned into the kiss this time, opening his mouth slightly to taste the man's tongue on his.

His hands wrapped around the back of the man's head, combing his fingers through the long hair and holding his lips against his. He pushed himself up with his left arm, letting himself fall on top of Sebastian and pulled his own underwear down to his thighs. He moved his hips up against the man below him, letting their penises slide against each other. Adam moaned into Sebastian's ear, the feeling of the man's hard shaft pushing into him made his body throb in pleasure.

Sebastian reached around the headrest and pulled down a bottle of lotion from his desk behind the bed, placing it on the bed beside him and squirting a few pumps into his hand. Then reached between their two bodies and grabbed both of their lengths in his hand, coating them in the slick fluid. He held Adam's cock onto his own as Adam continued moving his hips rhythmically. With each thrust Sebastian's face twitched slightly, the sight of which gave Adam twisted pleasure. 

Adam was getting close and he needed air, he placed his hands up onto the wooden head board and lifted himself above Sebastian, watching him squirm from above. The blanket slid off his back as he pulled himself out of the man's hand. He took a few deep breaths, then looked back down at Sebastian, his eyes were locked onto Adam, his face drenched in sweat as he continued to stroke his own penis. Adam traced the man's eyes, he looked at Adam's penis, then slightly opened his mouth. He obliged, walking his way forward on his knees before placing another pillow under Sebastian's head. With a thumb he pushed his erection down over the man's face, gently tapping his lips as he opened his mouth. 

Teeth rubbed against the head of his penis at first then bliss as the man's tongue worked its way around the girth as he thrust into his mouth. He put one hand behind Sebastian's head as he thrust into his face. Adam's penis throbbed inside Sebastian's mouth, he thrust deeper. Sebastian's eyes began to water, then he shut them tight and let out a moan around Adam's cock. He felt Sebastian finish, sending hot liquid onto Adam's back. He pulled himself out of the man's mouth and stroked himself vigorously. Sebastian sat up now, wrapping his mouth around Adam's balls that hung in front of his face. Adam let out a deep, sputtering, groan as his body spasmed. Thick white semen cascaded from his penis and coated Sebastian's face as well as the head board and pillows.

He collapsed, his knees buckled and he slid down the bed on top of Sebastian's sweaty body. Sebastian wrapped his arms around the lifeless corpse and caressed his back with his fingers. 

"Pretty good first date" he whispered into Adam's ear. 

"ghrdph" Adam mumbled in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter I know, but the ending felt appropriate.


	15. Same ol' Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam's running low on fuel and they don't have premium out in the country.

The bottle rattled, the tune it sang filled Adam with dread. He twisted the cap off and peered inside. One pill left, not even enough to save him from a return trip. He still wasn't able to control the power well enough to be able to go without the drugs. He been taking two pills every three days after he stopped needing them for the pain. He'd have to make a trip into the city to find something soon. He pulled out his phone, snapped a picture of the pill in the bottle and sent it to the group chat. 

'Gotta stop by Zuzu today'

He walked into Gunther's room. He was still the same size. He excitedly bounced toward him as he opened the door. 

"Good boy" he said in a baby voice, patting the green blob. Gunther vibrated his body, a behavior Adam had come to associate with being excited.

He stepped into the pool with bare feet, turned the hose on, and got his hands wet with fresh water. He rubbed the slime's body with his moist hands. Gunther sank deeper into the water and let out a gurgle. This was as close to a treat Adam could find for his friend.

Eventually Gunther got bored and began rolling his body around in the fresh water, Adam rinsed his hands in the hose, then closed the valve and head out; turning off the light before closing the door. 

A blip came from his pocket as he washed his hands at the sink.

Sam: 'Obsidian is booked tonight at your favorite club, you can tag along' 

'Ok, I'll be good I promise' he responded

He headed to bathroom to get ready for tonight, he had to look good if Sebastian was going to be there. He smiled to himself. 

-

Adam walked up to Sam's front door, the old blue pickup was already parked out front and was half filled with cardboard boxes. The door was wide open but he knocked on the open door anyways. 

"COME IN" he heard someone shout from inside. 

Abigail peeked out of a room and squealed. 

"You look slick as fuck" she said as she slapped Adam's shoulder. He was glad she thought so, he tried hard today. His hair was freshly cut and combed back with gel until he got the swoop he was going for. He put on his favorite button-up, it was white but the collar and pocket had a rose design on a blue background. The pants were just his usual slim khakis but he had to keep it simple with a shirt so loud.

"Thanks" he said softly. He wanted to hear that from Sebastian now. 

He followed her into what he assumed what Sam's room. It was chaos, he and Sebastian were duct taping massive boxes shut that were strewn out all over the floor. 

"Need any help?"

Sam didn't look up but responded "Yeah you can take the sealed boxes to the truck"

Sebastian looked up at him, flashing a soft smile, then went back to work. 

Adam began to haul the boxes. Most of them weren't that heavy, they were just large. He assumed they were to protect the contents during the trip into town. 

Once they had finished packing the last of the boxes the four of them piled into the car in the same seating as Adam's first ride. 

Sam started the truck and pulled off. 

Sebastian tapped Adam with his knee "Turn on your GPS" 

Adam found the setting on his phone and made sure all three of them were set to see his location. Sebastian double checked on his phone then stared out the window. He looked worried. 

"I'll be fine, I wont leave the club" he said trying to comfort him. 

He heard the man grunt, Adam left it alone. Sam and Abigail chatted away in the front seat, discussing which songs they should perform.

He looked out the window quietly the rest of the ride. 

-

After unloading boxes, Adam was able to sneak into the club from the back entrance. He didn't want to have to pay for cover and he wasn't going to be drinking anyways. He headed through the noisy room, walking the perimeter of the dance floor to the back wall of the underground, cave-like building. He hovered against the wall, he didn't want his white shirt getting messed up by dirt or whatever bodily fluids remained on the dingy concrete. 

He waited, he could see from the corner of his eye a man walking towards him in a large black jacket, both hands in his pocket.

They made the exchange and Adam quickly slipped the pill into his mouth. He set off in the opposite direction of the man in the jacket, making a slow lap around the dance floor waiting for his friends' set to begin. 

The crowd screamed and woo'd as new song began from the sound system above them. A deep, slow, beat: he knew the song, but was taken aback that it was playing in the club. 

His eyes shot to the DJ booth and laughed to himself at what he saw, Abigail had large black headphones held to her head, he eyes were closed as she bobbed to the song. Rihanna's voice filled the room, Adam's felt goosebumps form on his exposed arms. 

~I can just hear them now~

Adam made his way over to the black table that stood on a platform about a foot off the dance floor. 

~they don't know what I found~

The space in front of the booth was crowded but he pushed his way through until Abigail saw him, she had on a huge grin as she lifted her hand and swayed to the slow beat, singing along to the song though Adam couldn't hear her over the bass in front of him that pulsed his body with its vibration. Adam slowly shifted his legs, gently swaying to the song.

~going with what I always longed for~

His body began to feel lighter, his hand shot up and he rolled his head side to side passionately. 

~feel like a brand new person~ 

At the drop of the bass Adam dropped his arm, swaying his shoulders and hips as he looked up at Abigail. She laughed as Adam mouthed the words of the song to her. 

~feel like a brand new person, I finally know what is love~

The bass blew blasts of air into his body in time with the beat, he shut his eyes tightly as he danced. He didn't want to go anywhere, he wanted to be right here beside the massive speakers. He felt himself stumble, it was becoming harder for him to control his movements but he didn't stop dancing. 

A firm hand wrapped around his bicep, Adam tried shrugged it off but it wouldn't let go of him. He turned his head angrily to scare away the pest. It was a woman wearing a blue uniform. The scowl dropped from his face was replaced by fear. He looked back to the DJ booth, Abigail had already taken notice of the situation. Adam pouted a lip at her but she flashed an evil grin and winked, then continued bobbing to the music. 

The woman pulled Adam out of the crowd, she was strong. She held his arm behind his back and pushed him forward towards the entrance. He took a deep breath as they ascended the steep staircase out into the street. 

Red and blue flashing lights blinded him once they'd reached the top, the woman pushed Adam onto the hood of the police car, the engine was running and the metal warmed him through his pants. 

"You have to right to remain silent-"

Metal clasped around his wrists and he felt her tapping his body with her palms. He squirmed when she began tapping around the inside of his legs. 

She asked his name and address, Adam tilted his head to the side and looked at her curiously. He didn't want to talk to her, she took him away from the music, she was mean. 

His head was pushed down and he took a seat in the back of the car with his hands bound behind his back. It was uncomfortable and he couldn't put on his seat belt. Adam laid down and stretched out on the back seat, laying his head on the smooth plastic.

The front door opened, the woman got in and spoke into her radio before pulling off. 

This sucked, there was no music, his hands hurt from the restraints on them and his shoulder was going numb from laying on it. He sat up and peered through the holes in the metal sheet that kept him in the back seat. 

"Can you play some music?" he asked sweetly. 

The woman coughed and continued to drive.

"I'm gonna sing if you don't" he threatened playfully. He couldn't stand being so still, his body tingled all over, begging for him to tell it to move. 

Her hands didn't leave the steering wheel. 

Adam cleared his throat loudly and began to sing the rest of the song she had taken from him. 

"Finally taking flight" 

The car veered into the left lane, the inertia pulled Adam's body down onto the seat. 

"know you don't think its right" 

He lifted himself up with some effort and swayed to the beat in his head as he sang out of tune. 

He prepared his throat for the chorus, closing his eyes tightly as he shouted "feel like a brand new person". His head rocked back and forth, he could hear the melody playing in his head. 

He felt the rocking of the car stop. He wailed "I don't care I'm in looove". Pulsing rattled his body as he belted out the rest of the chorus. His shoulders swaying as he rocked his arms around his body. 

"Good boy" he heard as a hand patted him on the cheek. Adam opened his eyes to see Abigail squatting in front of him with the same evil grin she'd given him earlier. He was in a lit room, he could hear the slightly muffled music playing outside. 

His heart dropped as he said sadly "Did I miss it?". 

She shook her head "Just the first set, we're about to start again" 

He nodded his head excitedly and stood up, he wanted to dance to more music. He found his way back out onto the dance floor and squeezed himself through to the front of the stage. 

He watched his three friends walk out on stage and position themselves by their instruments. Sam's blonde hair was spiked up as usual but he had on a pastel blue suit, his lips were painted black. Abigail's long purple hair was pulled up into a long ponytail that wrapped around her shoulders. She wore some kind of red geometric garment with a thick red line of makeup painted across her face. Sebastian had on a big black suit jacket over a white tank top. His hair was pulled back messily, a few thick strands covered his face, where a tiny bit of black eyeliner was smudged into his eyelids. They all looked amazing, Adam couldn't believe he was friends with them: they looked like they had hopped out of another world.

He chuckled to himself. So had he. 

The music began and Adam danced furiously, ignoring the sweaty bodies that collided with his. He was enraptured by the performance, the three of them moved with passion and grace as they produced beautiful music. 

 

\- 

Adam ran through the crowd after the curtains closed. He pushed past people and stealthily made his way into the back room where he'd came through earlier. He saw Sebastian wiping himself with a white towel at a table filled with boxes. He ran to him and wrapped his arms around him from behind. 

"THAT WAS GREAT" he yelled, his voice not yet adjusted to the silence. He squeezed Sebastian's chest and rubbed against the side of his neck with his head. 

Abigail ran up to the two of them and wrapped her arms around them and squeezed. 

"THAT WAS AWESOME" she yelled, matching Adam's volume. One of the points in her gown dug into Adam's shoulder but he ignored it, his nose filled with Sebastian's sweaty scent. 

Sam did the same, but much gentler. 

Sebastian let out a labored breath "You guys are crushing me" 

The huddle scattered and they began to change out of their outfits at separate corners of the room, packing the clothes carefully into boxes. Adam took a seat at the table, grinning as he watched Sebastian step out of his pants. He let his eyes linger on the black skull boxers that hung from the man's hips then frowned as Sebastian pulled a pair of loose black sweats over them. 

The four of them packed away the equipment and loaded the boxes back onto the pickup. Then Sam went to pick up their checks as Sebastian stood by the car with a lit cigarette in his mouth. Abigail was already sitting in the passenger seat, the light on her phone illuminating her face where the red line was now streaking down from sweat. 

Adam watched as he inhaled deeply from the stick and held the smoke in his lungs before blowing it out into the night. 

"Can I have some?" he asked, the aroma had hit his nose and his throat itched for more. 

Sebastian held the cigarette up to the man's face and let him take a hit. 

Adam wasn't sure what this was. The two of them had their first 'date' but other than that they hadn't spent much alone time together. He was fine with it, as long as Sebastian was near him the labels didn't matter.

As the cigarette burned close to the filter Sam came back, they began to pile into the car. 

Sebastian looked tired, he shut his eyes and propped his head up against the window in an uncomfortable position. Adam watched his head slip down the glass, jolting the man awake before he closed his eyes and repeated the process. Adam pulled at Sebastian's arm and patted a hand on his lap.

The seat belt stretched as he fell down into Adam's lap. He ran fingers through the sleeping man's hair.

A face peeked out from the head rest in front of him, Abigail looked at Sebastian then smiled wickedly at Adam before turning back around in her seat. She elbowed Sam and he turned back to look too, giving a quick wink to Adam before turning his eyes to the road. 

-

The truck pulled into the bus stop and made a right towards Adam's house, stopping just in front of the mailbox. 

"Take him to bed, we can handle the unpacking" whispered Sam to the backseat. 

Adam nodded, gently unclasping both of their seat belts before scooting out from under Sebastian. He stirred a few times but didn't wake up fully. He walk around the car and gently picked the sleeping man up into his arms, carrying him like a big baby before closing the car door. Sebastian was heavy as dead weight but Adam held on tight as he made his way up the porch steps and into the door. The truck pulled off once they'd made it inside the house. 

He laid Sebastian down onto the bed and slowly pulled his wet tank top over his head, begrudgingly leaving the black sweatpants. He stripped all his own clothes off, he was drenched in sweat, and tossed them onto the floor by the tank top, then climbed into the bed naked. He pushed the blanket around Sebastian and pulled him close to his own body. 

He tingled in excitement but didn't want to wake Sebastian, he buried the thoughts and shut his eyes to sleep.


	16. Life isn't always Fair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam gets his cake, but can he eat it too?

Sebastian stirred in the bed beside him, he'd slept well last night, maybe because of the company. He kept his eyes shut. The head of his penis rubbed against Sebastian's sweat pants as he moved around. The bed shifted and he heard Sebastian's feet slap against the wood, he walked to the restroom. Adam was disappointed, maybe the man didn't want to wake him up. Steps headed back toward the bed. 

The blanket lifted up and Adam felt a fist push on his shoulder, he fell onto his back. This felt promising, he thought about opening his eyes but he'd already committed this far. Sebastian crawled under the blanket down between Adam's open legs, then grabbed his morning wood in a wet hand. The liquid was slick, he wasn't sure how he managed to find the bottle of lube in his bathroom but was glad he did. He tried to contain himself as the hand stroked along the length of his penis, but let out a deep gasp when he felt a wet tongue make contact with his balls. 

He lifted the blanket as Sebastian continued to stoke while rolling his balls gently with his mouth.

Sebastian made eye contact with him and pulled his face back slightly to say "Morning" then continued. 

It felt amazing, but also awkward: he didn't know what to do with his hands, he started petting Sebastian on the head but stopped when the man flashed him evil eyes. He lay still and watched the man pleasure him. Sebastian was so focused, his eyes were glazed over; stroking Adam with his face buried in ball sack.

Adam started to feel the pressure rising in his body, he reached out and squeezed the hand on his erection. Sebastian rose to his knees and walked forward around Adam's body with his own hard cock in his hand, Adam grabbed his own and massaged it slowly. He watched Sebastian walk over his face, his genitals were a shade darker than the rest of his body, then he lowered himself onto Adam's face. Adam returned the favor, tasting the sweat on the man's sack before gently taking the balls into his mouth. He peered up at Sebastian's face, behind the man masturbating on his face, he looked down at Adam with heavy squinted eyes, then his chest twitched. He let out a series of grunts, Adam could feel his testicles twitching inside his mouth.

He quickened his stroking and lightly coughed out the other man's balls as he came onto his own chest. 

"Fuck" Sebastian cursed, straddling him, and quickly ran to the bathroom, coming back with a brown towel. 

He wiped the towel against the wall where he'd painted a masterpiece of opaque fluid, then wiped the man's chest before throwing the towel into the corner with all of the clothes. 

Sebastian laid back on the bed with his head on Adam's chest. 

Adam looked down with an awkward smile "That was nice". Last time they'd fallen asleep after the deed was done and then cleaned his mess and left before Sebastian woke up. 

Sebastian nodded and kissed the chest beneath him. "I need a shower" he whispered, lifting himself off the bed. He dragged his feet into the bathroom, then shut the door. Adam smiled and got out of bed.

-

 

The hot skillet sizzled as Adam cracked an egg and dropped it into the oil. A splatter of hot oil singed his stomach a tiny bit after the second egg splattered down and he cursed, jumping back from the spattering pan. He had put on a pair of underwear: the rest of their clothes now in the wash. He looked over at Sebastian, who stood at the opposite end of the counter filling the coffee maker with water. The over-sided tee shirt he'd taken from Adam's closet hung loosely from his shoulders. Adam bit his lip as the man reached up to grab the ground coffee out from the top shelf, a tiny bit of the man's round butt peeked out from under the fabric.

They sat at the table now with toast, bacon, and eggs on their plate and a cup of coffee for each of them: cream and sugar for Adam, black for Sebastian. 

"Anything planned for today?"

"Nope, no projects lined up yet" Sebastian replied after a sip of coffee.

"Cool cool cool" he said nodding his head. Adam bit into the bacon and stared at the man across from him. He looked grumpy as he chewed the eggs and ripped off a piece of the toast. Adam would wait to bother him until after he'd finished his coffee. 

Adam finished before Sebastian, he got up and left his dishes by the sink before walking behind Sebastian. He still looked like he'd just woken up, Adam put his hands on the man's shoulders and massaged them gently. Sebastian groaned, pushing back into the pressure, he massaged harder. 

"Sorry, was it the bed?" Adam said sadly. 

The long back hair shook slowly and groaned "Standing, not used to it". 

He drank the last of his coffee and Adam took his dishes to the sink saying "You can go back to sleep if you want". 

The chair squeaked against the floor as Adam began scrubbing the dishes, he looked back to watch Sebastian waddle back to the bedroom. He would've liked to take him out somewhere today but having him in bed was also a good option. 

He finished drying and putting away the dishes then went to check on Sebastian. He was sprawled out on the center of the bed, he looked up at Adam as he entered the room.

"Can't sleep" he sighed before shoving his face into the blanket.

"Want some medicine, or you want me to massage your back?" he put his hands on his hips.

Sebastian mumbled something into the bed. Adam moved closer and sat down beside him, rubbing his back lightly. 

"Couldn't hear you" he whispered. 

Sebastian turned his face from the bed and with a pitiful look said "Both". 

He chuckled as he got up to fetch a glass of water, he saw the orange bottle from the corner of his eye on the TV stand and grabbed it on the way to the kitchen. He filled a glass and took a small white bottle from a cabinet, then head back to the bedroom. 

"You have a choice" he rattled both bottles in his left hand as he entered, then tossed them onto the bed. 

Sebastian sat up and looked at the the two bottles, he grabbed the orange one.

He handed over the glass of water and watched him swallow the pill, then took the glass back and placed it on the nightstand. Sebastian fell over again with his face in the bed and Adam climbed on top of him, straddling his knees around the man's hips. He worked the muscles in his back with an open palm. The shirt rode up as he rubbed the fabric and Adam saw the round pale butt underneath him. 'Not the time for that' he averted his eyes and pulled up the shirt, working his hand against the bare skin. Sebastian let out groans of pleasure that reverberated through his chest. 

The groans slowly faded and Sebastian wiggled from underneath him "I'm fine now". 

Adam dismounted and sat beside him. A ping came from the corner of the bedroom. 

Fall was Adam's least busy season, his clients could get roses much closer for a much lower price, Adam didn't mind the season off but he also couldn't say no to cash in his pockets. He stood from the bed and walked over to the closet with his stacked washer/dryer. He pulled open the folding door and grabbed his phone. He read through his messages while transferring the wet pile of clothes up into the dryer. 

There was a message from Sam 'Fair today, bring Seb'. Adam had intentionally avoided every event that the town celebrated. Large groups were his nightmare, he could already feel his palms sweating. He looked back at Sebastian laying on his bed, maybe if they were all together it would be ok. 

He called over to the half naked man "Fair is today, will you go with me?" 

Small sparks of static popped as the black hair nodded into the bed rapidly. 

Adam headed into the bathroom as the dryer tumbled. 

-

 

The two of them walked past the bus stop, Sebastian was still wearing the large white shirt but he'd put on his black sweats that were now clean. Adam had on blue jeans and a gray polo, he carried a wicker basket filled with roses: one of each color, and some of his pink honey; the other man suggested that he bring things to put into a grange display. Adam didn't know the rules of the game but maybe there would be potential clients at the fair, wouldn't hurt to advertise. 

At the entrance to town they could already see massive white and red tents set up in the distance. Adam could already see the crowds of people, he could hear chatting and laughing as they grew closer. He reached instinctively and grabbed tight onto Sebastian's wrist as they walked. 

The first tent they came across was filled with prizes: cute plushies, hats, toys. In the center of the display was a scarecrow with a top hat and a strange looking fruit inside a glass case. He wasn't sure why anyone would want a scarecrow or a piece of weird fruit.

He pointed at a fat black cat plush with an angry face and squeezed Sebastian's wrist "That's you".

Sebastian turned to look at it; when he turned back he had on a soft smile "I want it". 

Adam dropped the man's wrist, his heart raced. Sebastian wants the cat, so he will have that cat. He grabbed Sebastian's hand and began to run, he had to win some games to get points or tickets or whatever. He pushed through a crowd of people and saw a game, it looked fairly straight forward, hit the thing, win. 

A bald man that had no shirt on flexed his muscles and shouted "COME ON UP SIR, HAVE A GO AT M-" 

Adam ignored the man, he let go of Sebastian's hand and picked up the massive rubber mallet beside the game. He swung it high over his head. Every muscle in Adam's body tightened, he swung the mallet back down with his whole face scrunched up: as if that would help him hit harder. The rubber mallet smashed onto the plate. Adam watched the red bar go all the way to the top and an alarm rang. 

The shirtless man clapped and gave a deep jolly laugh "Good job sir, you are a very strong man" he handed Adam a single ticket. 

Adam looked at the ticket and frowned. The cat was 50 tickets, he needed to find a better game. He looked over at Sebastian. The man's eyes were watering as he forced a smile to conceal his laughter. 

"You did good" he said through grit teeth.

Adam let out a sad sniffle. 

"Lets go set up your display, if you win you get more tickets" Sebastian pulled his arm back into the crowd of people. 

-

They found an empty display case and Adam began setting up: he placed the honey in the center, then fanned out the roses around it by color. He gazed down at the display proudly and asked Sebastian how it looked. 

He shrugged "Don't really like roses, but its fine I guess". 

He was proud of the display, maybe it wouldn't win but he was happy with it. 

"Finally joining the town Mr. Morgan?" an older gentleman with a gray mustache sauntered up behind them, he scribbled something on a clipboard.

He turned and nodded slowly, putting on a smile that he hoped would deter further questioning. Thankfully, Sam and Abigail came up from behind him. The two of them began chatting with Sebastian while patting Adam's back, admiring his grange. Adam took a breath as he saw Lewis smile and walk away to the next grange. 

"What are you wearing?" Abigail said in disgust, pulling at the baggy fabric from Sebastian's shoulders.

The man shrugged, letting the loose collar fall down his shoulder "I got it from Adam's closet". 

"Oh-" she gave a wicked smile "I see". 

Sebastian looked like he couldn't care less but Adam's face was getting hot. He tried to change the subject "Lets go play games, I need 49 more tickets".

-

 

The four of them went to visit all of the games, Adam sucked at everything. He didn't have the hand-eye coordination to hit any of the quick targets at the slingshot game, he tried the fishing game but was only able to catch one fish, then right as he pulled it out of the water it managed to jump off the hook and back into the water. His friends were enjoying themselves though, they laughed at Adam's misfortune and he laughed along with them. If anything he could buy the remaining tokens he needed. 

They walked out of the fishing tent, Abigail was holding a stack of tickets that she fanned into her face. 

"Its time ladies and gents, to announce the grange display winners" a speaker overhead shouted. 

This was his last chance to win tickets, Adam's heart raced. He tried to ready himself for disappointment but he was still excited to hear the result. He took Sebastian's hand and ran off toward the granges. 

Lewis stood atop a wooden crate in front of the granges, he studied his clipboard for a moment and cleared his throat. 

Adam squeezed Sebastian's hand tightly. 

"Third place goes to - Burdle Farm from Eagleton". Adam's heartbeat quickened. 

 

"Second place goes to - Handemade Heaven" Abigail screamed from behind the two men, she jumped onto Adam's back and shook him, screaming how excited she was into his ear. 

"Congrats man" Sam slapped him on the shoulder. 

Sebastian squeezed his hand and gave him a wink. 

"First place goes to - Pierre's General Store" Abigail hopped off of Adam's back and ran screaming over to her brown haired father who was a few people down the crowd. Sam hurried behind her to congratulate the man. 

Lewis saw Adam in the crowd and walked over to him smiling. He pulled an envelope from his back pocket and handed it over "Your winnings Mr. Morgan, we hope to see you again next year, maybe take first place from Pierre". 

Adam accepted the envelope and shook the man's hand "Thank you sir, I will". Adam could tell by how full the envelop was he had more than 50 tickets. 

He and Sebastian shuffled out of the crowd and headed toward the gift shop. 

"I can get you every fat cat they have" he said shaking the envelop excitedly. 

Sebastian rolled his eyes with a smile "I just want one".

 

\- 

 

Sebastian hugged the black cat tightly and made an angry face back at it. Adam was holding two other cats, one was purple with a dazed look, the other was blue with star eyes. 

They looked around for their friends, the crowd had mostly dispersed by now but Adam didn't see them anywhere. Sebastian pointed them out, Adam looked and saw Abigail's purple hair standing next to Sam. They were by a tent that they'd skipped over, Sam said there were no prizes to win there. The two of them hurried over to their friends.

Abigail waved "Lets go get our fortunes read" she shouted.

"Do you want to?" Sebastian pouted at Adam "If you say no maybe she wont make me" 

"It sounds fun though" Adam shrugged, he liked magical things, given his circumstances he couldn't not believe in fortune telling. 

"Is that for me?" the woman outstretched her arms at Adam. He tossed the purple cat at her and she caught it, spinning while she squeezed it. 

"For you Sam" he tossed the blue cat at him, he grabbed it and eyed it curiously "Thanks?".

He figured Sam wouldn't love it but he didn't want to get him nothing either. Abigail held the cat under her arm and led the three of them into the tent. 

A blonde woman with a bob haircut was filing her nails at the entrance. "Hey" she said in a thick Jersey accent "Its 30 a person, if you all go together I can do 100". 

Adam took out his wallet "All together is fine". 

"Kay" she replied, taking his card and swiping it across the machine. 

She waved a hand inside as she gave Adam his card back. She got up from her seat, spit a ball of gum into the trash, then walked into the tent underneath a curtain, they followed. 

The inside was dark, dimly lit by candles all around a large table. Adam took a seat on a small stool and looked at the glass ball in the center of it. Sebastian sat to his right, Sam and Abigail on his left. The blonde woman took a seat at the opposite end of the table. 

She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, the candles dimmed slightly, Adam felt a breeze on the back of his neck and shivered. 

"Alright, who wants to go first then - no you know what we'll start with you" she pointed to Abigail. 

"Look at the ball and focus on it, try to push everything else out of your head" Abigail did, Adam wanted to laugh at the face she was making but he contained himself. 

The medium stared into the ball now too, her eyes darted around as she stared at it, as if she was seeing something. It just looked like a plain glass ball to Adam. 

"You need to be careful - I see danger in your future - but it can be avoided"

She looked away from the ball, shocked "How do I avoid it?". 

"Don't drink and drive? Wash your hands more? Shit - I don't know your life, just your future" the woman sounded annoyed. Abigail folded her arms.

"You-" She pointed to Sam "Blondie, look at the ball"

He looked at it. 

Her eyes went to the glass and darted around again. "Oooh" she coo'd "You're going to find someone special soon". 

He rolled his eyes and looked away from the ball. 

These sounded like pretty generic fortune readings, Adam was staring to think he'd just thrown away a hundred dollars. 

She snapped her fingers and pointed to Sebastian who was looking grumpily at the table "Your turn mister gloom, pick that sad face up and look at the ball" 

He lazily looked up at the ball. 

"Oh" the woman looked at the ball curiously "Um" she leaned closer to the ball. 

"You've got problems, grumpy, problems that are gonna push people away if you don't fix 'em". 

He scoffed "I could've told you that". Adam looked curiously at Sebastian but he looked away. 

"Last one, lets go, I'm starvin' " She clapped her hands together and looked into the ball. 

Adam could see her in the ball from across the table, her face distorted by the glass but he could see her eyes darting back and forth. Her face in the ball frowned. 

"Someone you love is in pain. A deep, sad pain" she looked closer. 

"You left her behind, you left them all behind and you didn't look back" her voice was sad.

A tear fell from Adam's face. 

The woman stood up from the table "Alright lets go" she motioned her hands repeatedly toward the door "that's all I see. Thank you, come again" 

They stood up and walked back out through the fabric curtain.

"Well that sucked" he heard Sebastian groan as they stepped back out onto the cobblestone road. 

The three friends chatted about their fortunes but Adam didn't move, his chest hurt. He didn't know what to do now. The medium's words had opened an old wound and he was bleeding out.

"Are you okay?" Sebastian had noticed his colorless face and put a hand on his back. 

Adam shook his head and sadly replied "I have to go home".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to include more Stardew-esque happenings in the story as well as making chapters longer. Let me know what you think.   
> Also, at some point I'm going to revise my first work 'Splinters' to make it less shit, and list the two as a series. I'll try to keep the references to a minimum so you won't have to read retroactively.


	17. Birds of a Feather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam has a rough day and needs to take a breather.

The brick wall was cold, he wanted to go out in the sun, he wanted to play on the slide or the swing, but there were too many people. He had to wait for Danny to come out, her grade got out a little later than Adam's but he couldn't play without her. The bell rang and a line of kids poured out of the door across the playground. He saw Danny and waved at her. Her short brown hair bounced as she skipped towards him. 

She took his hand and pulled him into the sunlight. Danny was always nice to Adam, she saved him. She was a hero. 

"What should we do today Adam?" she let go of his hand and spun around on the concrete. Her long skirt bloomed out. 

Adam giggled as he watched her, she looked like a princess from TV. "Lets go look for frogs" he said, pointing out toward the grassy field. 

She nodded her head and took off toward the field, Adam chased after her. 

The two of them squatted at the corner of the field, there were big rocks scattered around along the fence. 

"Ewww" Adam had flipped over a small rock, revealing a fat white grub worm. He carefully put the rock back over it.

"I FOUND ONE" cried Danny, her hand was covering the dirt. 

He waddled over to her and squealed "I wanna see". 

Her hand carefully lifted up, revealing a tiny brown frogglet. Adam only saw it for a few seconds before it quickly darted away. 

"Bye, bye froggie" he giggled. Danny patted his head with her hand. 

Shadows approached from behind them, Adam saw them in the dirt while he looked for another small rock. 

"Hey Daniel" it was a boy's voice. Adam turned around but he didn't recognize the boy, he looked like he was in Danny's grade. 

"What do you want, Brian?" Danny snapped back at him. She looked angry, Adam wasn't sure why. 

"Boys have to wear pants, only girls can wear skirts, I'm gonna tell the teacher" the boy said, two more boys stood beside him, they were laughing. 

Danny stood up and brushed her knees, Adam hid behind her. 

She walked toward the boy and Adam stayed still, he twisted a knot in his shirt.

"So where's your skirt?" she looked him up and down. His face scrunched up, then he pushed Danny, she stumbled to the floor.

She stood back up and got closer to him, her fists were red and tight. 

Adam ran forward, he didn't want Danny to be mad, Danny was his hero. He tried to pull her back away from the boy but she wouldn't budge, Adam pulled and pulled, he wanted to get her away from danger, he had to save her. He shut his eyes tight and pulled her hand as hard as he could. 

Then his hand slipped. His eyes shot open and he saw the sky - it was bluer, brighter - then he felt himself hit water and he sank. He didn't know how to swim yet, he wiggled his arms and squirmed but he kept sinking. He saw a shadow above him in the light, then the shadow dove down into the water, he could hear the water break but nothing else.

The shadow pulled Adam up, he could see it was Danny now and she held his hand and pulled him up, back to the surface of the water. He gasped for air as they broke the water's surface and Danny pushed him up onto the pier before climbing back on herself. 

Adam looked around in wonder, he was back in the other place, where the fancy boy was with his friend. 

"Adam where are we" Danny looked scared. 

"I told you I wasn't lying, this is the place I got lost" he said smugly, crossing his arms. 

"How do we get back" her voice shook. 

Adam held his hand in front of his face, then held up two fingers at her. 

"The purple man sent me back the first time" he wiggled his first finger "Then the fancy boy sent me back the second" he wiggled the second. 

"So where are they now?" She said, she was shivering now, both of them were drenched in water, the wind chilled Adam to his bones. 

"Purple man lives in the tower, but he wasn't there last time. I don't know where the fancy boy lives" he said as his teeth chattered. 

Danny looked around her, taking in the new world, then saw a house close by "Lets go there first I'm freezing". 

He nodded and took off running towards the house. 

-

A group of chickens gathered at the fence as Adam poked his head through. He liked their necks, they wiggled around so funny. Then he heard footsteps coming out of a little barn room and all the chickens ran to the sound. It was the fancy boy's friend, he was wearing the same old hoodie, he was much taller than Adam, maybe taller than Danny even. He had his hands out filled with yellow stuff that the chickens were pecking. 

"Hello" he called to the older boy.

The boy was startled, he dropped all the yellow stuff onto the floor as he fell back. 

"It's me, I saw you with the fancy boy" he smiled so he would recognize him. 

He still looked scared but he stood up and walked to the fence. 

"Why are you all wet?" the older boy asked, shaking dirt from his brown hair. 

"I fell in the water and Danny pulled me out, can we come inside? I'm cold" Adam bounced on the wooden fence, he wanted to get dry, but he also wanted to pet the chickens. 

The boy nodded, then head towards the house on the other side of the fence. Danny walked up to the house just as the door opened. 

He waved a hand for them to come in, Danny nodded her head slightly in thanks and hurried inside, Adam followed. 

The boy went into another room while the siblings sat by the fireplace on a bale of hay. 

"You know him?" Danny whispered to Adam while she toasted her hands. 

"He's friends with the fancy boy, maybe he know where he is" he whispered back. 

"Who was that Shane?" they heard someone yell from the other room, then a plump woman walked in to the room. 

"Oh hello, are you Shane's friends?" she looked taken aback by the two strange children in her house. 

Danny shook her head "We fell in the water and we asked him if we could dry off. We don't live around here". 

"Ow you poor babies" She pursed her lips, walking closer to them "Where are your parents?" 

"Um" Danny started, trying to think of a lie. 

"They aren't in this world, we came here by magic" Adam said proudly. 

She chuckled and pinched Adam on the cheek "Well you go back to them when you get dried off, I don't want them to worry about you". 

Adam nodded happily. 

The boy walked back into the room holding towels and handed one to each of them. He looked at the woman and nudged his head in their direction "That's the boy we saw by the lake".

She took another look at Adam, he smiled back at her. "Well make sure he doesn't disappear again" she chuckled as she walked out of the room. 

The boy put his hands on his hips, he frowned and looked at the two siblings "How'd you do it?" 

"Do what?" Danny replied running the towel over her damp legs. 

"HE" his finger pointed at Adam "vanished right in front of me, like magic". 

Adam shrugged, he took his shoes off and kicked them over by the fire "I don't know, just happens sometimes". 

"We need to find the fancy- your friend, Adam says he can send us home" Danny added. 

The boy looked sad now "He told me he couldn't come this weekend, he has to study". 

"When does he come back?" she was starting to sound annoyed. Adam started blotting her with his towel, he didn't want her to get mad again. 

"Next Friday" he whispered, he looked like he was going to cry.

"We can't wait till next Friday, we need to get home" she grunted and pulled away from Adam's blotting. She stood up now and walked to the boy, grabbing him by the collar "Where does he live?"

"In the city, its far from here" he whined, he looked sad and scared at the same time.

"Its okay Danny" he whined "we can go see the purple man". 

She let go of the boy's shirt and marched out, Adam slipped his shoes back on and followed after her. Before she reached the door Adam pulled on her arm "Can we play with the chickens first?" 

The plump woman called from the kitchen "You kids should check in with your parents first, they're probably worried about you. But-" she walked out and peeked her head around the corner "if they say its okay, you can come back and play with the chickens - and eat some pie too" She winked, then headed back to the stove. 

"Lets go to see the purple man first Adam" Danny said pulling his hand out the door. 

This place was great, pie and chickens, he wanted to stay here forever. But Danny wanted to leave and he didn't want to be alone, he dragged his feet after her. 

-

They made it through the forest, up the long staircase and Danny banged her fist on the giant door. They heard loud, quick, footsteps then a loud clank as the door swung open. 

"Dear, you came bac-" he stopped, looking disappointingly down at the two of them. Adam waved at him.

Danny began in her sweetest voice "Hello sir, my brother tells me you can help us g-"

He cut her off with "Can't help you" then slammed the door quickly. 

She screamed in frustration, then stomped back down the steps mumbling "I hate this place".

Adam kept quiet as they walked back to the house. He felt guilty for bringing her, but he didn't mean to. He never meant to come here it just kind of happened. He was scared the first time too but it was exciting now. It felt brighter here, more colorful somehow, he wanted to stay for a long time. But he knew they had to go home, they couldn't live here on their own, they had nowhere to sleep. 

Danny knocked softly on the big red door. It cracked open, the boy peeked out and rolled his eyes when he saw them but opened the door further. They entered and walked to the kitchen. A young girl was beside the woman now, she had long brown hair. The girl saw the two of them and walked over, patting flour off of her hands. 

"Hi, I'm June" she smiled and held out a hand. 

"Danny, this is Adam" they shook hands.

"Are you Shane's friends" she asked. 

She shook her head "We're just visiting, Shane let us dry off after we fell in the lake". The girl laughed "I assumed as much, you two are still pretty soaked and Shane doesn't have too many friends" 

The two of them started chatting at the table, Adam pushed his face into window and stared out at the chickens. They were still walking around inside the fence pecking at dirt. 

"Wanna go see them?" Shane squatted beside him. 

He nodded .

Shane led the boy outside and walked into a small shed. The older boy handed Adam a handful of corn, then held his own handful out as he sat on the floor. Adam watched in amazement as the chickens waddled towards him. He squatted down and laughed as the chickens pecked at the corn in his hands. One of their beaks went too deep into the pile and touched Adam's finger and he squealed, dropping the corn on the floor. Shane chuckled as he fell onto his butt. He watched the chickens pecking the corn on the ground and giggled back at Shane.

"Where are you two from?" Shane arched his eyebrows gently as he dropped the rest of the corn onto the floor. 

"Earth, Zuzu, 492 Calmon street" he replied blankly. 

"But not this Earth, not this Zuzu?"

He shrugged "Don't think so, I couldn't find my house, and it's different here". 

"Cool" the boy laid back and looked up at the sky. 

Adam did the same, even the stars looked different, there were so many of them here and they shone so bright. 'Maybe this is heaven?' he thought. 

 

-

 

Adam paced his room, hot tears ran down his face. Sebastian was sitting on the floor with a blank, empty look in his eyes. 

Arms reached out and grabbed his shoulders "You can't go back Adam, you can't go", he blinked the tears away, it was Abigail, her face was red and her eyes filled with tears as well. 

"I have to go back, she needs help, Danny needs help" Adam shook his head frantically then shut his eyes and tried to leave. "She helped me for so long and I left her alone" he choked on his tears, taking deep stuttering breaths. 

"Adam - calm down - breathe" she whispered to him in a calm voice. "Its going to be okay, you don't have to go back, she will be fine". He inhaled deeply 'I have to save her' then exhaled slowly. He continued his breathing, deep inhale, slow exhale. 

 

"What the fuck?"

He slowly opened his eyes, Abigail was looking at her own body in horror. He looked at his own, then looked around him. They were in the bathroom, they were both Adam's age - well - Adam's age here. She looked horrified at Adam who was now the size of a young teen. 

"I did it" he let out an excited gasp.

"You did" she gasped as well looking at her surroundings she looked amazed, but soon returned to disgust as her eyes fell back on Adam. 

"We have to go back, NOW" she whispered.

Adam ignored the girl, running out of the bathroom to find his sister. He bolted through the hallway and up the steps, he could hear Abigail following him. He pushed open a white door with a star on it. Danny looked up in shock at the sudden entrance. She sat at a small white desk with a book open on it. 

She smiled wide "Back so soon?". He burst into tears as he stretched his arms out around her and squeezed her tightly.

The purple haired girl panted as she creaked the bedroom door open "Adam- we need- to go bac- Oh hello". Adam chuckled, hearing Danny gasp as she saw the girl enter. 

"Sorry Danny, she came with me by accident" he said, wiping snot from his nose. 

"So - uh, what are you doing here then?" she pursed her lips. 

"A fortune teller-" Abigail slapped the back of his head before he could finish "He was worried about you, he came back to see if you were okay". 

"Okay?" she started laughing "Why wouldn't I be okay?" she rolled her eyes. 

"See Adam, she's fi-" Danny continued giggling "I'm so okay that he left me here while he has fun in the other world" she stood up from her chair now. 

"I'm totally cool with dealing with pissed off Dad every time you vanish" she walked closer to Adam "I LOVE watching you come home every what, week, two weeks, for a dinner before you leave again" 

Abigail walked back towards Adam, distancing herself from the girl, then whispered "She's not okay" before shoving Adam forward. 

She jabbed her finger into Adam's chest "You might have forgotten about it over there, but I haven't had that kind of time".

Tears poured down his face now as he looked at her "I'm sorry Danny, I was scared, I didn't want to come back". 

She stared back in anger, then rolled her eyes and pulled him to her, squeezing him tightly "I know- I know, you got it worse than anyone but it sucks Adam- it really sucks here without you" he could feel her tears against his neck as she held him. 

"You can come with me - I did it Danny, I used the power on my own to get here" he whispered.

She pushed him away, looking at his face in shock "Wha- really? But what about Trevor?" 

"We can come back sooner, he won't even notice, If he wants to he can come too sometime" he smiled though his eyes were still watering. 

She beamed, then ran around the room, packing clothes and books into a red jansport.

Abigail slapped Adam's back "That was lovely, now lets get going". 

He smiled, watching Danny excitedly stuff her backpack and try to get the zipper shut. The smile quickly faded as the ground shook, he could hear rapid stomping, heading up the stairs. He turned slowly and saw his father's red face look through the doorway. 

"You aren't going anywhere" he seethed. Adam heard the bed squeak as Danny slowly backed into it. 

"Just let us go dad" he said in a soft, broken voice. 

"Why don't you listen? I've told you time and time again" he pounded his fist on the door as he walked toward Adam. 

"Dad please, just let them go back, I'll st-" Danny cried out from behind him. 

He slammed a fist into her desk, silencing her, the wood cracked and the desk collapsed. He took another step toward Adam and grabbed him by the shirt "This is the real world Adam, you don't get to run". The arm lifted his shirt and his legs dangled off the floor as he gasped for air around the tightening fabric around his neck. He tried to speak but couldn't get the words out. He saw Abigail against the wall to his right, she was staring at the scene with tears in her eyes. Adam shut his eyes tight and tried to leave, he had to get them out of here. 

He heard his father yell in pain, then he dropped to the floor. His eyes shot open and he took a deep breath of air. Abigail was holding the base of a shattered lamp, it was his old sheep lamp, his father's back was covered in white glass shards, blood stained through his shirt. Adam coughed violently as his breathing shot pain throughout his neck. Then his father stood up and grabbed Abigail by her small arm. Adam's heart sank as he watched his father throw the girl across the room, her body hit the wall in a loud crash, then slid down, leaving her a crumpled mess on the floor. 

Adam and Danny both rushed over to the girls body, she wasn't moving, her eyes were open but she didn't move an inch. Adam shut his eyes again, grabbing both of their wrists. He could hear his father curse as he slowly stood up. 

The man took a labored step, the floor shook as he shifted his weight to stand. 

Adam breathed in deeply, then exhaled slowly. 

His father took another step "Listen to me Adam". 

Inhale, exhale.

He felt a tug from the back of his shirt. 

 

Inhale.

 

Exhale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know about you but I sure as shit wouldn't want to go home to Adam's Dad either! 
> 
> Sorry about all the child abuse but technically, they aren't children anymore, they just have child bodies.


	18. Spilled Milk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam throws a die on the table.
> 
> He got a one.

"I have to do homework Adam" Danny's face was buried in a book that she had propped up on a small desk, she waved a hand to shoo the boy away. 

"But I'm bored" Adam pouted, he stuck out a lip and made big puppy eyes at his sister. 

She looked angrily at the boy "Adam, I have 2 tests this week and a paper to write, GO" she pointed a finger at the door. 

He sat on the floor and painted a sad face into the carpet with his finger "But Mom wont let me play with Trevor, she says its dangerous".

He heard the girl give out a long grunt, then her chair let out a whine as it spun quickly. 

"I have an idea" she gasped. 

Adam looked up at her in excitement, her eyes were wide and she gave Adam an evil smile. Then she stood from her desk and raced around her room, stuffing clothes and books into a red jansport. 

"Where are we going?" he asked excitedly. 

She slid her arms through the backpack and sat beside Adam "Lets go to the other world". 

He bounced on the floor and nodded. 

"Okay, lets see, how do we get there" she grabbed Adam's hand and put a finger to her mouth. "Think of something that makes you happy, like Pokemon". 

He did, he was thinking of Pikachu. He squeezed his face together really tight and thought of pikachu really hard, imagined him dancing, playing fetch. He wiggled his body, pretending he was pikachu now, he shook his long yellow tail.

She cringed as watched him then shook her head "No, this isn't working, try something else, close your eyes" she turned Adam around on the carpet and put her hands on his head. She massaged his head gently with her fingernails, Adam loved it. He shut his eyes tight and let her scratch his head. 

"Now" she whispered to him "Think about those pies Marnie makes, they smell good don't they?" 

Adam nodded, he could smell them, sweet apple pies. 

"Picture those chickens, how cute they are" she continued. 

He could see them waddling around in the patchy grass as they pecked at the floor. He giggled. He liked the chickens. 

"Take in a big, big breath" 

He breathed in. 

"Now blow it out really slow" 

He pushed out his lips and released the breath. 

 

"Good boy" he felt her hand shake his hair back and forth as the smell of a fresh baked pie wafted into his nose.

 

-

 

A man stood over the bed, his short brown hair and white lab coat were drenched from the pouring rain outside, he shone his flashlights into both of Abigail's open eyes. From the foot of the bed Adam could see the dark pupils shift rapidly, following the light. 

The blonde who sat on the other side of the bed lifted his head, his hair was a mess and his eyes were red and puffy "How is she Harvey?" 

The doctor let out a nervous sigh, then said "She's just in shock, she might have a broken rib or two so I'll need to do x-rays at the clinic". 

Sam had a pained look and his voice was soft "We can bring her over when the rain clears".

The man nodded slowly, turning to look at Adam "You should know better than to be on the roof during a storm, consider yourselves lucky" he patted Adam's shoulder then headed for the door. 

Adam hung his head, everything was a mess, he looked at Sebastian, still sitting on the floor staring into space, he hadn't moved an inch since he and Abigail left almost an hour ago. His sister was sitting by the laundry room her hair still dripping into a puddle beside h, she had been the one to run to the clinic to fetch Harvey. She had changed into Adam's old pajamas as her clothes tumbled in the dryer. 

He heard quick stomping, looking up just as a fist flew towards his face, connecting hard against his jaw. He took the blow and stood still, Sam breathed heavily, his face contorted in anger. Adam didn't move, he looked at the man's red face and waited for more: he deserved it. 

His sister stood up and ran over to the blonde, pushing him away from Adam. She was older now than in their world, but still a head smaller than the blonde man. 

"Hey, he didn't hurt Abigail, if you want to blame someone, blame me" she held her arms up, blocking his path.

"Its fine Danny" he put a hand on her shoulder "It's my fault, I should've taken her back". He looked at Sam "I'm sorry, I should've brought her back". 

The man's eyes watered and he grabbed his head, scrunching his hair tightly as he cursed. Then turned away from Adam and knelt down again beside Abigail. 

Adam stretched his jaw and wiped his palm across his face. "Sebastian, want me to walk you home?". 

The man's head shook slowly. 

He knelt down and gently put a hand to Sebastian's face "I'm sorry, I'm back now, everything's going to be fine" he leaned in to kiss the man but Sebastian turned his face quickly.

"I can make it home" Sebastian's tone was cold, he rose to his feet. His movements were sloppy, he stumbled, barely catching his footing, but continued to walk to the front door. 

Adam grabbed his hand but Sebastian pushed it off and continued walking. Adam took a step forward but stopped himself, watching the man walk out the door into the rain. He wanted to cry, but his eyes were dry, he couldn't even do that right. He let out a deep sigh and sat on the couch, rubbing his sore neck. Danny peeked her head out of the bedroom, then slowly walked over to Adam, taking a seat beside him on the couch. 

"I'm sorry, seems like I messed everything up for you" she whispered, leaning her head against his shoulder. 

He shook his head "You didn't do anything wrong". He squeezed his pant leg "I'm the one ruining lives"

She looked at him with sad eyes "Says who?". 

"Says you and everyone I care about"

She nodded, sighing. 

"All I've done here is fuck up their lives, Sebastian can't talk to me, Sam's pissed, shit, Abby almost died because of me" 

"Adam, you know what they say about spilled milk?" her head lifted from his shoulder and he looked at her "Wipe that shit up before it gets in the carpet" she flicked his forehead. 

He nodded sadly.

"We've all got problems don't we?" she smiled up at him. 

"I don't strangle children or throw them against walls" he said in a pointed tone. 

Her lips pursed and she nodded slowly. Then slapped Adam's leg "Rain is dying down lets do it. One problem at a time" she stood up and walked into the bedroom. 

Adam gently smiled and followed after her. 

 

-

 

A woman with chestnut skin adjusted her glasses as she typed their contact information down "I'll call you when she's up and ready for visitors" she gave Adam a soft smile. 

"Thanks Maru, take care of her" he spoke softly. He'd seen her before and knew she was Sebastian's sister, though the man didn't talk about his family much. 

He sat back between Sam and his sister on the cold plastic bench. 

The blonde let out a yawn "You can leave, I'll wait here". 

"I'll wait with you until she gets out" he said stubbornly.

"Stop Adam" he said, letting out a long sigh before continuing "I'm sorry, I was just mad that I couldn't protect her, but you need to go talk to Sebastian he's fucked up too". 

Danny pushed Adam's shoulder "Go, I'll wait here" her eyes were serious and she gave a quick nod. 

He grunted and stood up from the bench "Call me as soon as you hear anything". At the door he looked back, seeing his sister patting the blonde man on the back, then walked outside. 

It was almost morning. He couldn't believe that less than 24 hours ago he was in bed with Sebastian, he could still hear Abigail scream in his ear at the fair, he could see all their smiles as they played games. Just a day and all their lives had changed. 

He stopped in front of the general store, it was closed now, everyone else in town was still asleep at this hour. Inside the window he could see the shelves of canned goods and imagined Abigail moving between the isles of the small store. He'd have to tell her parents what happened, not now though, one problem at a time. 

He dragged his feet along the path, heading up the steep path that led up into the mountains. 

Before he reached the door a strong odor hit him. He looked around the field in front of the carpenter's large house and saw a cloud of smoke trailing up from behind a bush. He made his way over and saw Sebastian laying down in the dirt, his head facing away out over the edge of the cliff a foot away. Almost half a pack of cigarette butts lay beside him in a pile of ash. 

"Hey" he called softly. 

The man's eyes glanced at him "Hey" then the head turned back away. 

Adam took a seat on the dirt beside the man and pulled a cigarette from the pack that lay open beside him. He lit the end, then gently placed his hand on Sebastian's chest. 

"I'm sorry" 

The black hair nodded, then blew out a cloud.

"I had to go Sebastian, she needed me"

Sebastian closed his eyes tightly "I need you to not die". 

Adam scoffed "Why would I d-" he stopped himself. 

They sat in silence, then the other man opened his eyes slowly, whispering "How's Abigail?".

"She's at the clinic doing X-rays, Maru is taking care of her" he took a long drag and held it in his lungs. 

"That's good, Maru knows her shit" he gave a sad smile.

The man pushed his cigarette into the ground, immediately pulling another from the pack and lighting it in his lips. 

After the first hit he spoke slowly"I can't do this Adam. You were fucked up the first time, and now Abby". A tear fell down his face but he quickly wiped it away. 

The words stabbed at Adam's chest, he remembered the pain he was in, how he couldn't even lift his head from the floor as Abigail sat with him. Now she was in the same pain, because of him, and he couldn't do anything to help her. 

Sebastian turned his head from Adam "I can't be around you, It hurts" his voice cracked. 

He nodded "I know I-". 

The other man cut him off "You don't know" he sat up and pushed Adam's hand off his chest "Losing someone - someone you love, it hurts Adam" his eyes started to water but he took the over-sized shirt and wiped his face with it. 

He didn't reply. Adam knew what was coming. 

"You can't promise me you wont go back, so I can't do" he pointed between them "this, anymore". 

Adam bit his lip and nodded he pushed his own cigarette into the floor and watched the embers die out, then stood up and walked out of the cloud of smoke that surrounded them. 

He looked back, the man's black hair was draped over the arms that held his knees close to his body. 

Adam walked back to town. 

-

 

He didn't see anyone sitting in the lobby as he entered the clinic. Maru looked up from her paperwork and smiled "She's awake now, you can head back and see her". Adam rushed through the lobby, cautiously pushing open the double swinging doors. He could see Sam and Danny standing beside a bed, the blue privacy curtain was pulled halfway back. He rushed over and turned quickly. 

"Adaaam" her voice was slow and drawn out. The woman lay in the bed, it was positioned high so that she was almost sitting upright. An IV in her arm led to a clear bag hanging above her bed. Her eyes were squinted, but she smiled at the man.

He walked over to her slowly, picking up her hand from the bed. 

"I'm sorry Abby, I'm so sorry" he fell to his knees and he lay his forehead on the back of her hand. 

"Ish a'right" he heard her slur her words. 

He shook his head "I messed up Abby and now your hurt" he felt a hand run through his hair. 

"Your hair is so soff, like a kitty" her finger's scratched at the man's scalp and she clicked her tongue at him repeatedly. 

He lifted his head, did she have brain damage? She wasn't making any sense and she was slurring her words. He looked at her in confusion, she stared back with big eyes and said "Good kitty".

"She's fine Adam" Sam interrupted Adam's confused look. "Harvey gave her something for the pain" his eyes darted back to the woman in bed as she clicked her tongue again, trying to get Adam's attention. 

 

"Kitty, kitty" her hand went back onto Adam's head and stroked his hair. 

The three of them watched as she continued to giggle; then her head fell back. She shut her eyes and began to snore loudly.

Adam looked over at the other two, Danny shrugged and Sam watched the bed with worried eyes. 

"I like her" Danny looked impressed at the bed "She beat Dad's ass with a lamp and came back fine" she folded her arms and nodded her head at the woman's strength. 

A shocked look flashed across Sam's face as he turned to look at her "She did what?".

She explained the situation to Sam as the three of them stood around the bed. His face went from scared, to amazed, to horrified as she spoke. 

"Why don't you just fight back?" Sam looked curiously at Adam. Danny flashed a concerned look at Adam, then put a hand on Sam's shoulder "Time isn't static between our worlds, back home we are just kids". 

Adam could see the gears turning in the blonde's head, he clarified "When we go back, we are the same age as when we left, I don't know why but Abigail was my age". 

Danny nodded, then glanced angrily at Adam as she added "I'm supposed to be older than Adam" she sighed "but I haven't spent as much time here".

They watched Sam as he struggled to process the information. Adam didn't even fully understand it but he'd had time to get used to the change each time he traveled between worlds. Before they could explain further Harvey pulled back the privacy curtain holding a clipboard. 

"Her scans look good, no internal bleeding, no broken bones, she's free to go once she wakes up" he smiled at them, then walked back to his office. 

The trio let out a sigh of relief. 

 

-

 

He'd managed to convince Sam and Danny to walk Abigail home, telling them he needed to sit for a while as he feigned pain in his neck. As soon as the they were out the door Adam pulled out his wallet and moved over to the counter where Maru sat, typing away at the computer. 

He slid his card onto the counter "I want to pay for Abigail's bill" he looked over his shoulder. 

She smiled and nodded, taking the card from him "That's kind of you. You're a good friend Adam, I can see why Sebastian likes you" she winked, then typed information into the computer as she read the card. 

His heart sank at the mention of the man. He'd pushed Sebastian to the back of his mind as he focused on Abigail; but now it all came back to him like knives stabbing his chest. 

"He doesn't like me much at the moment" he admitted softly. 

The woman pushed her glasses up "Seb gets like that sometimes" then pushed a lock of her copper brown hair behind her ear as she looked at Adam "He's always been distant but since he came back from Zuzu it's been worse" her smile faded. 

"I didn't know he went to Zuzu" Adam bit his lip, he felt wrong prying information out of the man's sister but in all the stories he'd heard from Sam and Abigail they had never mentioned him going to the city. 

She squinted through her glasses, looking at Adam like he was an idiot. Then her face softened in realization "Right, he was already gone by the time you moved in" she slid his card back along with a receipt. 

"The man who owned the farm before you set him up with a programming job at Joja. Seb always wanted to live in the city, he stayed for-" she counted on her fingers and looked up into space "I think 3 years?".

"What made him move back?" he asked cautiously. 

Maru shrugged, her starched scrubs crackled softly. "Said he missed home, but I'm sure it was something else" she leaned closer to Adam "Take care of him, he isn't as strong as he lets on" her face was serious, almost threatening. 

Adam nodded back silently and packed his card back into his wallet as he turned to leave. 

She was asking the wrong guy, he could barely take care of himself. 

 

-

 

The cold beer coated his tongue, the bitter taste made Adam cringe but he swallowed, then took another sip from the green bottle. He sat on the pier watching the orange sun slowly rise from beyond the ranch. 

 

He hadn't come this far south in a long time. The old house was worn down, shutters hung loosely from the side of the building and the red paint had almost completely chipped away. The sweet sounds of clucking chickens now replaced by the cold wind howling through the abandoned house.

The bottle tilted toward the sky as Adam chugged the beer quickly. He was tired of thinking, tired of worrying, tired of feeling sad. He popped open another bottle and stretched out across the wood planks as he took a drink.

He wanted to be back in the past, playing happily with his friends at the ranch, eating Marnie's delicious pies. Maybe he could time travel as well, he shut his eyes and slowed his breathing, trying to alter the flow of time to bring his friends back, bring the ranch back. 

"There you are" he heard steps approaching.

He looked up across the pier, Danny and Sam walked towards him. He grunted and took a drink. 

The two of them sat beside Adam, Sam took a beer and started drinking. 

"What happened to the ranch?" she looked sadly at the decrepit building. 

Sam looked surprised "How do you know about the ranch? Its been abandoned for years". 

"We used to come here all the time, we played with Shane and June and sometimes that other boy" she snapped her fingers trying to remember the name. 

"Riley" Adam spoke up. 

She pointed to him "Riley, that's it". 

"Oh my god" he gasped he ran a hand through his yellow hair "I remember seeing two boys playing with Shane and his sister around here, one had blue eyes, that must've been Adam".

Uh oh Adam thought, this isn't going to pan out well. He stayed silent and drank. 

"That - boy " Danny slapped the man on the back of the head "Was me". 

The blonde choked on his beer and coughed, trying to clear his throat "What do you mean? It was two boys, I'm sure of it". 

She roller her eyes, then stood up and walked over to the old ranch. 

The blonde looked at Adam in confusion "What's her problem?". 

"Uh" Adam scratched his head and took a long sip of his beer. "Our parent's wouldn't let Danny grow her hair out when we were young, said she'd get bullied if she wanted to be a girl". 

"That's dumb, is that normal in your world? All girls here have long hair" he snorted. 

His head hurt, Adam didn't really know how to explain Danny's situation, nor had he ever had to, nobody could tell by her appearance that she was anything but female. 

"Danny uh- I've always called her that- but Danny's name used to be Daniel" Adam spoke quietly, looking over to make sure she hadn't come back yet, then raised his eyebrow at Sam, hoping he'd understand. 

He did. Adam saw his eyes grow wide, his mouth hung open, then he cringed and slapped his own head. The man stood up and ran over to the barn, his blonde hair bounced as he took long strides toward the woman who was looking at the decaying building. 

Adam chuckled watching the two, Sam looked like he was trying to apologize but Danny kept turning away from him with her arms crossed. 

He was glad he wasn't the one in trouble this time. 

He sighed deeply and sipped his beer. 

It was good to have Danny back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Working on revising the first work in this series, It will take some time but it needs to be done before I can continue with this story.   
> Thank you for your patience.


	19. You're not the One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam and Danny are closer than two bananas in the same peel. 
> 
> They're so alike they wore matching dresses to the prom, or they would've if they hadn't turned 18 in another universe. 
> 
> But maybe they're TOO alike?

"You're bed sucks" 

His sister slammed the back of her head into the pillow and shifted her position. 

Adam was sitting beside her scrolling through his phone, he held onto the blanket as she turned. 

"You just aren't used to it yet" he put down his phone and looked at her. 

It had been a while since she'd last been in this body, everything must feel off to her. He still remembered the feeling from when he'd finally managed to come back.

The woman stopped shifting and turned toward him. 

"How'd you manage to stay here so long? We could never stay for more than a few days"

He quietly cleared his throat "I took drugs". 

She nodded "I thought so, I kept finding pills in the couch". Her eyes were soft as they stared at him. She was concerned. 

"I don't need them anymore though" he replied. He'd found a better way, a safer way, though he wasn't sure he wanted to stop using completely. 

Danny sat up now, she pulled her knees close to her body and toyed with her long brown hair. 

She stayed silent for a moment then spoke quietly "You can't leave me again". 

"I won't"

"I'm serious" she stared at him with a stern face. 

"Most days I'm okay but- " she looked at the end of the bed and bit her lip "It's hard Adam. Being in that body - living that life is hard". 

He nodded. 

"You can live here with me, for as long as you want" he spoke slowly, trying to comfort her. 

"Adam, I want to stay here forever" she had tears in her eyes. 

"Then we will" he put a hand on her back and rubbed. "We can go home, but I promise we will always come back" 

She wiped her face and nodded. Then she lay back in the bed.

Adam felt guilt in his chest, a hollow pain. He had been too selfish to realize how she felt for all this time. They weren't the children that their bodies back home were but she'd had to live like that. Trapped in a body that wasn't her age, in a body that felt wrong to her. 

He wouldn't leave her ever again. 

 

-

 

Green water poured from the spigot into Adam's watering can. 

He walked it into one of the rows and poured the liquid into the dirt around a group of bushes.

Danny walked beside him, gently touching a pink rose and putting her nose to it. Her long brown hair covered her face as she bent down to admire the flowers. 

"Mom would love it here" 

He nodded, lifting his glasses to wipe sweat from his nose. His mother loved tending to the garden at home, she loved roses especially. She was the reason he planted the rose bushes to begin with so in a way his livelihood was thanks to her. 

His sister began pruning some stray branches. Adam agreed to let her help in the garden in exchange for living at his home for the time being. He didn't really need the help but he let her feel useful. 

They talked while they worked, Adam filled her in on everything that had happened since she left. He didn't know much about what went on in town but he told her how he met Abigail, Sam and Sebastian. 

"So were you dating?" she raised an eyebrow. 

He shook his head "I don't know, but we for sure aren't now".

She frowned but stayed silent. 

They cleared the rest of the row in silence but Adam noticed his sister smiling every now and then to herself. 

"Whats so funny?"

Her smile disappeared "Nothing". 

"No secrets Danny" he waved his watering can at her, spilling a little bit in her direction threateningly. 

The woman jumped away from the water and frowned "Its nothing - just". 

She rolled her eyes and sighed "What's Sam's deal" 

A smile crept onto Adam's face. 

He nodded smugly "Sam eh?".

Her eyes rolled even harder "Yeah Sam, he's always with Abigail though right?". 

Adam nodded, giving a smug face while he thought about how to tease her. 

"They're always together"

He watched her mouth twitch. 

"Abigail told me they used to date" 

The twitch turned into a frown. 

"But" he smiled "it didn't work out, they're just very close friends". 

She slapped his arm. 

"Ow" he cried as he ran from her laughing "Sam won't like you're mean to me". 

The woman chased after him flailing her arms at him as he ran around the garden. Adam was too fast for her now, he didn't have little legs anymore that she could catch up to. 

Then he tripped at the end of a row, a loose patch of dirt sent him into the grass and he rolled out into the open. 

His sister gently kicked his leg as she caught up. 

"You okay?" 

Adam nodded, then sat up smiling.

In the distance he saw Abigail and Sam walking up the steps to his house. Danny noticed his gaze and looked in their direction. 

"We're out here" she yelled and waved at them. The two of them turned and began to run in their direction. 

Then a third figure appeared from behind the wall of roses, Sebastian looked over in the direction his friends were running to. He sat on the steps and pulled out a cigarette. 

Abigail held her arms out as she ran to the two of them. 

Adam stood up and brushed dirt off his pants then held his arms out toward her. 

The three of them collided and Abigail squeezed them into her. 

"I'm glad you're okay" Danny choked out as the woman crushed her with a hug.

Abigail released them and flexed her arm "You're Daddy ain't shit, I'm too strong". 

They chuckled. 

"Sorry again Abigail" his guilt from that night still hadn't left. 

Abigail put a hand on his head and patted it "They way I see it, If I wasn't there to help you both would be stuck there".

"You're probably right" he tried to smile. 

"I'm fine, you're both fine, so we're cool" she tousled the hair. "But I don't think I'll be going back to see your family" she chuckled. 

"Yeah, fuck no" Sam had finally caught up to the group. 

Adam smiled at Danny, she flicked her eyes back at Adam and gave him a tiny grin. 

 

"Anyways" Adam stretched his arms over his head. "What are we doing today?". 

Abigail pushed her hear behind her shoulders "Today I am DM"

 

-

 

They sat at Adam's dining room table, Abigail pulled the recliner to the table since there were only four chairs. Adam and Danny on her left, Sam and Sebastian on her right. 

"DM gets a special chair" she said smugly. 

"I made characters for you and Danny already" she handed both of them sheets of paper. 

"Adam you can heal again, you did good last time. Danny I made two for you to pick from" 

She looked at the papers curiously then picked up one of them. 

"Thief, good choice" 

She cleared her throat then began in a deep narrative voice. 

"The four of you are on foot walking through the dense forest. You have accepted a quest from the Queen Abidrilla, there have been many disappearances as of late and strange sounds come from the forest at night." 

She paused to read from a notepad. 

"There are sounds coming from the forest to the left, what do you wish to do?" 

Danny looked up at Adam with an embarrassed smile. Adam nodded and shrugged. It was pretty cheesy but he kind of liked it now.

"I say go to left" he said to the rest of the group. Sam and Sebastian nodded, Danny shrugged. 

Abigail looked at the notepad again and smiled. 

"The party heads toward the sounds, you see a blue light shining through the trees. It seems out of place but you trek on until you reach a clearing. The blue light seems to be a doorway, the forest around the portal, even the grass, seems unable to grow close to the area. Almost like the light is pushing the forest away from it."

"What do you do?" 

"Obviously we go into the light" Sebastian rolled his eyes. Adam's chest hurt hearing the man's voice. 

"Or" Adam stammered "We can talk to the light". 

Danny looked at Adam dumbly, then her eyes widened and she nodded "Yeah, Lets talk to it". 

Sam looked at the two of them strangely. But he shrugged and said "Okay". 

Adam didn't actually think they'd go through with it, he just wanted a chance to talk to Sebastian. But now he was on the spot.

He cleared his throat and began. 

"Oh light, 'tis I. Adan, Cleric of the Order of Tramadol - uh - we wish to enter you"

Danny screamed in laughter but she held a hand to her mouth, muffling her squeals. 

"The light says 'You may enter me' " Abigail's face was red from trying to contain herself. 

"Okay I guess we can go in" Adam shrugged. 

"Good, I'm glad we asked first" Sebastian rolled his eyes. 

Adam could see the man smile a tiny bit. 

"The party enters the light, WITH PERMISSION" she held her finger up for dramatic effect. 

"Your bodies feel like they are being torn apart as you touch the glowing blue light, then suddenly you find yourselves in a dimly lit room. It is a greenish stone room with four doors, one on each wall" 

She pauses and looks at the group. 

Sam looked up from his paper "Can we look at the doors before we do anything?" 

Abigail nods. 

Beside Adam, Danny lifts her paper and studies the words. 

She slaps it down and points to a word "I have detect trap, can I do that here?" she looks excited. 

Adam looks at her paper where she pointed, then he looks at his own paper, he hadn't even seen any of the other things written on it, all he did the last game was heal. 

"Yeah go ahead and roll a D-twenty" Sam passes a large die across the table to her. 

She shakes it, blows into her hands, then throws it down. 

11

"Nice" Abigail smiles "Yes, on all but one of the doors you find a hair thin wire, you trace them up the walls and see holes in the ceiling that might be activated if you open the doors".

"Good thing you checked" Sebastian gave a thumbs up to Danny "Lets go through the door that won't kill us". 

They all agreed. 

"You slowly twist the handle and the door creaks open - AND THEN- nothing happens, just a door. This room behind it is dark though, the candlelight from your current room doesn't illuminate more than a few inches, and you can hear a clicking noise from inside" 

"Do we have any light spells?" Sam looked at his paper, then frowned. 

Adam looked too but didn't see anything that said light, the only thing besides heal he saw was turn undead but they hadn't seen any undead so far. 

"I can throw a fireball inside the room" offered Sebastian once they'd all looked at their papers. 

"Go for it" said Abigail. 

He rolled a 5

She looked at the die and thought for a moment "Hmm - okay - you're fireball flies into the room, but it only makes it a few feet before it hits something and extinguishes immediately. The flash of light lets you see inside the room briefly, you can tell its large and made of the same green stone. You can see that the floor is wet." 

"Can we feel around inside for a light switch?" 

The table looked at Danny and slowly shook their heads, even Adam knew better than that. 

"You know what, go for it" Abigail leaned forward and handed her a die. 

Danny rolled the die shamefully. 

4

"Yeah - no" Abigail cringed at the roll and put a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder. 

 

"I guess we just walk in blind" Adam suggested. 

"Yeah?" Abigail looked around the table for objections, there were none. 

"The party moves into the room, each step you take makes a splashing noise in the shallow water on the floor. After a couple of steps you hear the door close behind you, the small light that lit the room is now gone and you don't see anything at all." 

She pauses again to look at her notepad, then clears her throat. 

"Everyone roll a die" 

They looked nervously around the table as they shook the dice in their hands. 

Danny got a 3, Adam got a 10, Sebastian got 19, Sam got 13. 

Abigail wrote the numbers down on her notepad then rolled her own die in secret. 

"Sorry Danny, As you are walking you feel something hit your leg, it feels cold and wet but it burns your skin really bad - take 2 points of damage" 

The woman frowned and wrote on her paper.

"Can we attack it?" Sam asked sternly. 

She shook her head "You don't see it, only Danthippe felt it so you don't even know about it"

Sam crossed his arms and pouted "What are we supposed to do then?". 

Abigail shrugged "That's up to you". 

"Keep walking I guess" Sebastian looked bored. 

"The party walks, then walks some more, then all four of you run into something in the darkness. It feels like jello, when you recoil from it you are coated with a slimy goo that burns your skin a tiny bit - everyone take 1 point of damage". 

"I'm gonna stab at it with my long sword" said Sam as he rolled a die. 

16

"The brave knight Samuel lunges toward the goo with his sword, piercing into the jello then pulling the sword back out, flinging the goo off your blade."

Sam looked pleased. 

"Ice ray!" Sebastian shouted.

17

"A beam of cold light shoots from your eyes and hits against the jello creature, you hear a loud rumbling gurgle come from it".

This felt wrong. The creature she was describing sounded awfully similar to Gunther. He didn't want to kill his baby boy while they sat in the room beside him. 

Danny was searching through her paper, before she could announce her move Adam cut her off. 

"NO" he cried "I want to run up and hug the jello, and cast heal"

The three of them looked at him in shock.

He rolled a 19.

"The cleric runs forward with his hands outstretched and casts heal as his body collides with the squishy wet creature. You feel it's body jiggle as you hold it and the creature makes a cooing sound, like a baby laughing."

"Yey!" he shouted. 

-

They continued with their adventure, the giant slime creature Adam befriended led them safely out of the dark room, then they fought off some giant bats, made it through a corn maze, and solved the riddles of a magical fat beaver. 

"You're in a massive room now, there is some kind of structure off in the distance in the corner of the room. The four of you rub your eyes simultaneously, you think its a bed, A massive, giant sized bed."

Adam looked at Danny with a worried look. His sister paid no attention, she was wrapped up in Abigail's story.

"Beneath the bed you see a woman, she is dressed in a beautiful gown, you recognize her as the missing Princess of Genitalia" Abigail giggled as she read the word from her own notebook. 

Sam nodded eagerly "Lets go get her". 

"Not so fast" Abigail interjected "As you take a step into the room a giant climbs off of the bed and stares down at you with its massive blue eye - just one eye - and says 'Get out of my house', he's stomping in your direction"

"I want to run up and stab his legs with my daggers" shouted Danny. 

Everyone smiled and watched as she shook the die in her hands.

She blew into her hands twice.

The die flew from her hand. 

In the split second between the die leaving her hand and hitting the table she was gone. 

They all watched in slow horror as the woman ceased to exist in front of them. 

The die bounced three times on the table. 

1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've taken a break from editing Splinters, It's much more work than I originally anticipated.


	20. A Life Without Adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam takes a nap and lets his problems fix themselves.

"No" 

They all looked at the empty chair, then looked at Adam.

"No" he repeated in a whisper.

He shut his eyes quickly, breathing in, then out. 

A hand touched his shoulder and squeezed tightly as he breathed again. 

 

A deep voice growled "Not you again". 

His eyes shot open at the voice, it was the purple man. He was scowling at Adam, he looked exactly the same as he had that first time: purple hair, purple beard, black cloak. 

He glanced around the room, Danny was sitting inside the white circle surrounded by gems, she looked shocked as her eyes darted around the room. Sam looked shocked as well, his hand still grasped firmly onto Adam's shoulder. 

"Why are you here this time?" The large man grunted and squatted as a chair appeared behind him. 

Adam pointed at the woman inside the circle "That's my sister, you can't send her back". 

The man's purple hair spun in the air as he looked at Danny, then back at Adam with a pout on his face. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were the authority on spiritual matters in this plane" He feigned an apologetic look, then snapped his fingers.

Adam flew backwards, a chair pulled itself out from the table and Adam was pushed into it. He was taken aback by the force, staring silently at the man in shock. 

Neither Sam nor Danny said a word as they watched the Adam fly though the air and into the chair. 

"You" The Watcher stood from his chair and pointed a finger at Adam. "don't decide what comes and goes, boy".

The man walked toward Adam, the reverberations from his steps sent cold chills up the chair into Adam's spine. 

"I have allowed you to stay here, but this" he pointed at Adam's sister "is unacceptable". 

Adam looked up at the man and pleaded "Why? We aren't hurting anyone". 

The man stared back with a blank face. "Why? You wanna know why boy?" he snapped his fingers again. 

The shutters on the windows slammed shut, the candles dimmed and the green glow from the massive cauldron went out. 

Then a light shone on the wall beside the cauldron. 

"This is what happened the last time someone magical came to Stardew Valley". 

The three of the stared at the wall, a countdown appeared in the light: '3, 2, 1' then an image sputtered into existence. 

Adam's face cringed as he saw the image, monsters were eating a man's body. He leaned in and looked closer, the man was familiar. 

It was Riley, the fancy boy, that couldn't be right though, the last time he saw the man he was alive and well, though he did have white hair then.

He could tell it was on the steps to his house, he could see the porch and the front door in the image. 

Then the image moved, it was like a P.O.V. silent movie, he saw a wooden stick swinging at the monsters eating Riley, they came toward the screen now, chomping their bony teeth. 

Then he saw Shane, he was older now, and a young girl he'd never seen before. They jumped onto the deck and ran inside the house, shutting the door quickly. 

He watched the screen shuffle as whoever was filming ran toward the house, jumped up on the deck and knelt beside Riley.

The man looked awful, blood covered his body and his face was completely white. 

Adam felt sick, he covered his mouth and dry heaved. 

Then a blue light glowed from the dead man's body and the camera backed away toward the house. The screen flashed in an explosion of light, then went completely white. 

It stayed white for a few moments then the scene reappeared, there was a big blue ball hovering in midair where Riley had been laying. The screen panned around the farm, revealing the desecrated land. 

Trees far in the distance were pushed back, everything except for the house had been obliterated into nothing. 

Then the screen skipped scenes, it bounced between the insides of people's houses. Each time there was someone covered in blood. He remembered sweet Marnie, she was laying face down in her kitchen surrounded in a pool of thick blood, her orange sweater was soaked in red. 

Lewis's body was only a torso, his entrails seeped out of his body like a packet of instant udon noodles. 

 

A body lay without a head beside a body of water, he didn't need to see the head to recognize the black shirt and skinny jeans. 

Adam gagged, then shut his eyes tightly and waved his hand, shouting "STOP, NO MORE". 

The man snapped and the room returned to normal. 

He took deep breaths, he didn't understand how any of that was possible but it was unmistakably real. 

Danny and Sam looked pale, Sam was still staring at the wall where the movie had played out. Then blonde bent over quickly, sending a spew of brown vomit out onto the floor. It splashed onto his pants, then he fell backwards onto his butt and scooted away from the chunky pool until he was up against the wall. He wrapped his arms around his body as he softly shook.

Danny watched the scene in disgust and moved back from the pool as it crept closer to her. 

The Watcher observed the three of them, looking slightly pleased with himself. 

"Is that why they left?" Adam said when he felt he could contain his last meal. 

The large man shrugged "Partly, they thought a change of scenery would be good for them" 

Suddenly the man's eagerness to gift Adam the land made slightly more sense. He didn't question it at the time, he was just glad to finally have a place to live after wandering the streets of Zuzu for a year.

The smell of vomit wafted over and assaulted Adam's nose, he stood from the chair and hopped over the vomit toward Danny.

He held his nose and said "Okay well she doesn't have any magic so we're all good". He reached out to grab her hand. 

The man snapped his fingers. 

Adam's hand smashed into an invisible wall before it reached the woman. She reached a hand out to him but was also blocked. 

"She doesn't leave until I'm certain" the Watcher paced beside the invisible prison, looking at the woman inside intently as she smashed her hands into the walls surrounding her. 

"Your power is weak, negligible, but if she has your blood she may be dangerous. The last time I encountered one of your kind they had to be -" he stopped himself. 

Adam's blood went cold as he stared at the back of the Watcher's head. "One of my kind?". 

The Watcher turned slowly to look at him and said "Do not come back". 

Then he snapped his fingers.

 

-

 

They were back at the table, Adam in his chair, Sam across from him. 

"Where is she?" Abigail placed a gentle hand on Adam's shoulder from behind. 

"She's at the Tower, I think she's safe". 

Sebastian sat beside Sam and rubbed his shoulder "You think?" 

"The Watcher- he said she might have power- said he had to be sure she didn't". 

He stood from the table and walked to the kitchen, he pulled two water bottles from the fridge. He twisted one open and placed it in front of Sam, then took a long drink from the other. 

The blonde man looked at the water bottle, then turned to look at Sebastian. 

He burst into tears and grabbed the man by the neck, pulling him tightly as he cried. 

"What happened?" Sebastian choked out from Sam's grasp. 

 

Adam explained what they'd seen, leaving out the gory details. 

 

Sebastian patted Sam's back as the man drank from the water bottle. "We're okay though, He must've brought everyone back to lives and erased our memories" 

Abigail crossed her arms and pouted "I wish I could remember that, that sounds dope - well not the dying part - but the blue light and the explosion". 

Sam shook his head as he finished the entire bottle of water "We have to go back for Danny". 

 

Go back? They could go back but what would that get them? The Watcher only let him stay in this world because he wasn't a threat. Adam chuckled. 

 

"How is that funny?" Sam rose to his feet, sending the chair backwards. Abigail pulled his arm back. 

Adam laughed harder "I can teleport".

He doubled over, clutching his chest as he laughed "I can go to another world but I can't protect myself from my dad". 

Tears fell from his eyes as his lips sputtered out air "I go anywhere I want but I can't save my own sister". 

He gasped for air as the laughter continued, he couldn't stop. Tears poured from his red hot eyes as he fell onto the floor. 

"I can't save anyone, All I can do is run"

His body felt light, his head spun around in circles and he watched the floor come closer to him. 

 

-

 

As soon as the three of them had pulled Adam onto the couch, Sam turned on his heels and hurried to the door. He slipped on his shoes and said "I'm going back to the tower". 

Before Abigail or Sebastian could object he was out the door. 

"Nothing is ever easy with this one" Abigail said as she sat by Adam's head and ran her fingers through the messy brown hair. 

Sebastian stayed silent. He looked down at the man, his face was still wet from tears, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. 

"You okay?" Abigail looked at him anxiously. 

He nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on Adam. 

Abigail rose from the couch and grabbed Sebastian's arm, pulling him toward the kitchen. 

She sat at the dining table and motioned for Sebastian to sit.

He pulled out a chair beside her and sat. 

The woman pushed her hair back from her face and looked into his eyes. 

"Talk"

"About what?" he murmured. 

The woman stared back in contempt. 

"You think I'm stupid Sebastian?" 

He was taken aback "No, I didn't sa-" 

"You were all over Adam at the fair and now you won't talk to him. So are you going to talk about it or just sulk forever?" 

His eyes pulled from her's as she spoke, instead focusing on her shirt. 

Abigail sat back in her chair and clicked her nails against the table. 

 

"I met someone in Zuzu" he finally said.

"He was nice, we had a lot in common" his voice cracked and he stopped to swallow. "We were going to get an apartment, adopt a cat" he chuckled softly, then returned to his pensive gaze. 

"Drunk driver hit us on our way to a concert" he was expressionless. 

"Killed him instantly" 

He paused. 

"Everything hurt Abby - the coffee shop we always went to - they kept asking where he was I - I didn't know what to say"

He sniffled. 

"I would see him walking down the street and get excited or - or there would be a cat" he stopped and wiped his eye. "That's why I moved back" 

Abigail nodded remorsefully. 

Sebastian nudged his head toward the couch "And Adam, he's always in danger, he almost dies every day".

He shook his head and whispered "I can't do that again". 

"I didn't know" Abigail reached her arm out onto the man's shoulder. 

He shook his head and wiped away his tears "Sorry, I didn't tell anyone". 

She nodded in reassurance.

They heard rustling from the couch as Adam moved in his sleep, then silence. 

"Do you like him?" Abigail squeezed his shoulder. 

A guilty smile crept onto his face, he gave a slight nod. 

"Then - if you want my opinion - I think you should risk it" she slapped his cheek lightly.

"What is life without a little adventure?" 

 

-

 

The massive wooden door creaked open, as soon as it did Sam pushed through it, his footsteps beat hard against the wood floor.

He ran past the table and looked around the room, Danny wasn't in the corner where she had been before, she was gone again. 

A voice came from behind him "Oh, hey Sam" he twisted his whole body around.

Danny sat at the table, she held a black mug to her face and took a sip. 

The Watcher shut the door and stomped back into the room "You humans never listen". 

"He can stay though right? I won't leave" She looked at the man in a pout. 

He rolled his eyes and nodded, then went to the cauldron and stirred the viscous green liquid. 

"I saw Adam pass out, He's so dramatic" she chuckled. 

"Wha-" he began but then saw on the wall an image of the living room where he'd just left. Sebastian and Abigail were sitting at the table while Adam slept on the couch. 

She shrugged "He IS called the Watcher". 

Sam stared at her in apprehension "So you are fine?". 

Danny swallowed from the mug and nodded "Want some tea?" she offered the mug to him. 

He shook his head. 

"Come sit" she pushed the chair beside her out with her foot. The man walked over and took the seat beside her.

He scratched his head as he glanced at the man at the cauldron, then back at Danny blowing on the mug. 

"So you are really fine?" he asked again.

She nodded again "I've got tea, and entertainment" she pointed at the wall where the silent movie played out, Sebastian was sitting on the couch beside Adam's sleeping body. 

"Oh" his eyes darted around the room as he spoke nervously "Should I leave then?" 

"No" she stammered, quickly retracting the mug from her face. 

"Stay - I mean if you want to stay" 

He looked at her in surprise. Then chuckled at her flustered appearance. 

"I'll stay"

 

-

 

Adam sprung upright, panting heavily as cold sweat drenched his body. He had a nightmare, Danny got taken by the Watcher. 

He looked at the dining room table where Abigail sat, she was playing on her phone.

No, he remembered it all now, that was real. Danny was locked away in a prison somewhere while the Watcher ran experiments on her. That had all really happened. He really was helpless and couldn't save anyone. 

He fell back down on the couch but something hit his head that wasn't a cushion. 

"Ouch"

He looked up at Sebastian's pained face. He was lying on the man's leg. He quickly bolted up again. 

"You're fine, come here" Sebastian patted the leg, then rubbed it where Adam had headbutted him. 

Adam stared apprehensively "Thought you hated me". 

The man rolled his eyes "I don't hate you". 

He pulled his legs off the end of the couch and scooted away from Sebastian. 

Sebastian sighed "You get hurt a lot Adam" 

Adam rolled his eyes now. He'd already heard this song before and he didn't need it repeated. 

"Yea- yea- so you don't wanna be with me. I get it". 

The other man shook his head and scooted closer to Adam. 

"I've been thinking about it and- well I can't keep you from going back" he reached into his pocket. 

He pulled out a small retractable knife, a sharp blade popped from the end. Adam stared in terror at the knife.

"So, if you go back home, I'm going with you". 

Adam stared back in awe. Sebastian was willing to stab his father to protect him? That was the sweetest, kindest thing anyone had ever offered him. His heart beat quickly as he looked at the other man.

"Put that knife away" 

Sebastian retracted the blade and put it back in his pocket. 

Adam lunged toward the man, tackling him to the end of the couch. He smiled down at the man who's eyes were wide in terror. Then he lowered his head and planted a kiss on Sebastian's lips. Sebastian smiled as Adam lifted up, then wrapped his hand around the man's head and pulled him back down. 

They heard Abigail shout from across the room "Can you guys not have sex while I'm in here?". 

They both sat up from the couch quickly and chuckled. 

"We aren't" Adam replied cheerfully. 

He winked at Sebastian as he adjusted his pants, then stood up and walked into the kitchen. Sebastian followed after him. 

"Lets go get Danny" he stood confidently under the fluorescent glow of the kitchen light.

Abigail stood from her chair and nodded eagerly, she took one of Adam's outstretched hands. 

Sebastian took the other hand and squeezed it tightly. 

 

-

 

"Oh, great. More company" 

The black robe rustled as the Watcher pulled his hand out and massaged his temples. He was standing beside the large black cauldron, he had a vial of green liquid in his other hand. 

"I'm almost done here so just stay put" he barked at them as he walked over to the table. 

Danny and Sam were seated at the table close to each other. Their surprised looks at their friends sudden appearance faded to fear as the man brought the green vial over to them. 

He handed the vial to Danny, who reluctantly took it. She swirled it around, eyeing it with disgust, then closed her eyes and drank from it.

The Watcher took the empty vial back from her then walked back to his chair by the cauldron and watched her intently. 

Danny looked afraid, as did the rest of the group as they watched her. 

Her face turned red and she grasped at her neck. She clawed at the skin of her neck as her eyes rolled back into her head, letting out a long high pitched shriek. 

The group watched in terror, Sam shook her hand and asked what was wrong. He looked to the Watcher but he silently observed the woman with boredom. 

 

She took in deep, pained breaths and then slumped her head over. 

 

Adam sighed "That's not funny Danny". 

She lifted her head quickly, she had a grin on her face as she chuckled "Was for me". 

Sam, Abigail and Sebastian let out groans of relief and annoyance. 

She turned her attention to the Watcher "Do I have magic or not?". 

He shook his head slowly as he smiled softly. 

She nodded, then hopped up from the chair and walked toward Adam. She stopped and turned back to Sam, offered a hand to the man. 

"Lets go home".


	21. In the Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam is the worlds best travel agent.

"I think we should finally address the elephant" Abigail spoke up. 

The group looked up from their phones. Sunday was their usual day to get together. Sam was off work and Sebastian and Abigail made time in their schedules to come down to the farm. They all had suggested things to do today but couldn't make a final decision on what to do, so they decided to do nothing. 

Danny sat beside Adam as he put away his phone, he'd have to add her to his plan soon. Living life without a smartphone was a life he didn't want his sister to live. She deserved better. 

They all turned to look at Abigail, she had a gleam in her eye.

"As you all know, Adam can teleport - AND bring people with him"

They all nodded. Adam was slightly concern as to where she was going with this. 

"We aren't doing anything SO -" she cleared her throat "I was thinking Italy". 

Adam stared in disgust at her. She wanted him to use his powers of teleportation for Italy? No, anywhere but Italy. 

He furiously shook his head. 

Danny smacked her palm on the table "China!".

"We don't know Chinese Danny" Adam tilted his head back and sighed. 

"I know a little Spanish" offered Sam. 

"We all know a little Spanish Sam, we all took Spanish" Sebastian rolled his eyes at the man. 

The room nodded again, who didn't know a little Spanish? Adam had noticed that their worlds were almost identical, they were both very similar geographically, and the schools required two years of Spanish. 

"So then Spain? Or Mexico?" Abigail was standing now with her fists on the table, she was starting to look frustrated with the groups inability to decide things.

"I have an idea" a wicked smile flashed across Sebastian's face. 

 

-

 

The group gasped collectively. 

Adam's eyes opened and he put phone with reference picture away. It was afternoon here, the sun bounced off the river of water before them. Colorful houses lined the street on either side of the canal, A small boat glided out from underneath the bridge they were standing on.

"And over to your left you'll see Anne Frank's house" the voice blasted through a speaker. 

A cacophony of 'oohs' came from the people standing at the boat's deck. The tourists took out their cameras and snapped pictures of the building.

The five of them waved at the people on the boat who were looking around in as much wonder as them. 

"Wheres all the the pot?" Abigail screamed at them. 

The families on the boat burst into laughter, then pointed to their right.

"Where's the red light district?" Sam shouted. 

Another bout of laughter, this time they shrugged. 

Danny pulled her hand away from his and slapped him on the shoulder. They had all been holding hands, forming a kind of train with Adam in the center. 

He recoiled and chuckled "I was kidding". She crossed her arms and pouted.

Adam felt Sebastian drop his hand. 

Abigail was leading Sebastian over in the direction the tour group had pointed. Adam jogged to catch up with the two of them. Footsteps against the brick road clacked behind him as the other two ran to keep up. 

They headed away from the canal into an alleyway between two rows of houses. 

They looked at all the buildings, they all looked the same just painted different colors. 

"What does a weed shop look like?" whined Sebastian as he scanned the doors and windows. 

Sam shrugged and said "I imagine it has a giant leaf on it, maybe a poster of Bob Marley in the window".

They saw a building with a 'Coffee Shop' sign on the door. Sebastian pointed to it and looked at Adam "Coffee sounds good".

Adam walked into the store and was stunned. What kind of coffee shop was this? Glass cases lined the perimeter of the store and shelves on the walls held small glass jars. 

They walked to the counter and peered into the displays. 

A short woman with blonde streaks in her hair walked out of a door near the back of the shop. 

"How can I help you today?" She said in an accent that Adam couldn't place. 

"Is this all weed?" He pointed down into the glass case. It was filled with jars of green nuggets and small bags of what looked like fruit snacks. 

"Yes sir, do you want my recommendation?" She smiled and looked around at the group who clearly looked lost. 

Adam nodded slowly as he took everything in.

"If you want to smoke we have - " She took a glass jar off the wall "Butterfly Kisses, best seller" she opened the jar and held it out for them to smell. 

It smelled like weed. Adam wasn't that much of a connoisseur in the weed department. He'd smoked some before but it was nothing compared to the high he was used to. 

"I'll take some of that" Sebastian looked at it excitedly after taking a sniff. "1 gram". 

Abigail nodded and smiled "Make it 2". 

-

 

They sat on a comfy leather couch that faced the window of the coffee shop. Abigail and Sebastian passed around a blunt that the woman had helped them roll. The strong smell put Adam off, it smelled like a skunks butt hole but Sebastian and Abigail seemed to enjoy it. 

Adam ripped open a bag of sour fruit gummies that the woman recommended. He and Danny began chewing on them. They just tasted like sour patch kids he couldn't pick up anything weed tasting, maybe they weren't that strong. Sam ordered a large bottle of blue juice that he was sipping from as he stared out the window. 

"Hows the juice" Abigail asked.

"Good, want some?" he replied pointing the bottle at her. 

She shook her head and accepted the blunt Sebastian was offering her. She took a long drag from it and held it, then blew out toward the window. The smoky tendrils crashed into the window, billowing out before dispersing into the air. 

"I don't feel anything" Danny smacked her lips then took another handful of gummies into her mouth.

After they'd finished everything they bought they headed outside. 

A gust of wind blew past them as the opened the door. The wind left Adam shivering, his nipples immediately hardened against his shirt. It was beginning to get chilly in Stardew Valley so they all had on warm clothing but they weren't prepared for this kind of cold.

"Should we go home now?" Adam rubbed his own arms with his hands "Getting cold". 

"Lets walk around for a bit" He felt a hand slip through his arm and pull. Sebastian gazed at him and smiled. His eyes were slightly red. 

They walked together silently. Everything looked the same to Adam. Every building they passed looked exactly the same. 

He started to feel less cold as they walked. Sebastian took his cigarettes out and offered one to Adam, he accepted. 

The cigarette warmed him up even more. He took a long hit and blew it out. Then he remembered there had been others with the two of them. 

He spun around in horror as he remembered his sister. 

Danny was there right behind him, she looked up at him and cocked her head to the side. She giggled at him and her hair blew into her face when another gust of wind hit. 

"You walk funny" she said between grit teeth before laughing again. 

He turned around and continued walking with Sebastian.

It was starting to get late, but he wasn't that tired. It seemed like he'd just woken up a few hours ago, the day couldn't be over already could it?

He was glad he could teleport them home, he had no clue how the people that lived here found their way around. Everything looked exactly the same. Maybe they were walking in circles. He could have sworn he saw that blue house three times now.

Adam looked around. Wait, no this place looked very different. It was like the houses before but instead of brick walls there were windows on every building. There were mannequins standing in the windows, maybe this was the shopping center. 

"Where are we?" he heard from behind him. 

"I think we are in Amsterdam?" 

"No I mean where - like where in Amsterdam?" 

"Oh um - Netherlands" 

"I smell chicken" 

Adam stopped and stared at one of the windows. He walked closer to it, he'd sworn he saw one of them move. 

"Adam what are you doing?" Sebastian cried as Adam pulled the man along with him. 

"I saw this thing move I swear" he mumbled as they walked closer. 

"Those gummies hit you hard bro" Abigail skipped up toward the window and peered inside.

The group crowded around the window and looked inside, the mannequin woman was bathed in red light, she wore a short skirt and a lace bra. 

They all took a step back in shock as the woman moved inside house. "You like?" she said through the window. She started to dance a little, then went back to standing still.

Adam dropped Sebastian's hand and ran. 

"She's ALIVE" he screamed as he ran back to the center of the street away from the buildings. He watched Abigail and Sam gaze at the woman in wonder while Sebastian and Danny pulled them both away from the window. 

"I think this is the Red Light District" Sam said once he'd been pulled back to the center of the street. He pointed to all the windows, all of them bathed in red light. 

"No shit" Sebastian said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. 

Adam squeezed Sebastian's hand, he looked into his eyes and pleaded "Can we go? That was scary". 

He nodded "Where do you wanna go now?". 

Danny whined "Somewhere with good food, I'm starving". 

They debated on going to China but they'd have to exchange currencies and nobody knew how to order in Chinese. Abigail suggested Italy again but Adam turned his nose and refused. Sebastian suggested a restaurant in Zuzu but then cut himself off and looked down. They shot out more suggestions that someone or everyone hated. 

Sam grunted and rubbed his red eyes "Lets just get pizza from the Saloon".

They nodded in agreement and held onto Adam.

They arrived at the bus stop, Adam didn't want to just beam them into the Saloon and freak everyone out. He opened his eyes and took in a deep breath. Everything was brighter here, not just because it was day time and not just because it was another world. It was just here, in Stardew Valley, that the colors felt more vibrant, the air was fresher than anywhere he'd been before. 

He took it all in through his hazy senses. Then the group headed into town. 

 

They sat at the table after they'd ordered their food. Emily asked three times if they were sure they wanted that many pizzas.

The five of them sat and stared at each other, giggling quietly as they looked around the room, then back at each other. 

When the pizzas came out they went silent and began to devour the cheesy goodness. 

They finished all four pizzas then struggled to stand from the table after they paid, They hobbled out the door as Gus and Emily watched them in horror. 

They waved goodbye to Danny and Abigail. Abigail offered to let her sleep over and talk about girl stuff. Adam was glad they got along so well, and he also wanted to be alone with Sebastian. 

He felt a slap on his back "Thanks Adam, today was fun" Sam chuckled then walked away. 

"Want me to walk you home?" He asked Sebastian.

The man nodded at him, his eyes were still red and he looked sleepy after all the pizza.

He took his hand and reluctantly began walking toward the mountains. 

It had been a while since they were alone together, even if it was just going to be a short walk Adam was happy being next to the man. He loved the residual smoke that clung to the man's clothes, the way his long black hair moved in the wind, the tiny smile he made when Adam said something dumb. Maybe he was high, but Sebastian looked happy too, he wasn't his usual grumpy, distant, cold self. Maybe that's what Sebastian was like when he was high, they'd have to visit Amsterdam more often. 

Sebastian held the man's arm tightly and leaned his head on Adam's shoulder as they walked. 

They opened the door and Sebastian invited Adam inside. Robin greeted them at the door in passing before she walked into another room. 

"Wait here" he said, then descended the steps into his room.

It wasn't long before the man was walking back up, he had a backpack around his arm and he took Adam's hand again and smiled. 

"Can I stay at your place tonight?" 

Adam felt the man's lips pressed against his before he could respond. "You taste like pizza" the man giggled as he pulled away. 

Sebastian tasted like pizza too, he smiled and nodded as he took the man's backpack. 

"Mi casa es su casa" he responded in a bad accent, pulling the backpack over his shoulder. 

The two of them walked out the door and head back to the farm. Adam's hand wrapped around Sebastian's waist as they walked slowly down the mountain path. Sebastian's head bobbed on Adam's shoulder as he sleepily followed along.

Adam looked down at the head on his shoulder, the long black hair draped over his shirt. He kissed the head and his heart body felt warm. Sebastian gave him joy - gave him strength, and he'd do anything to keep that. 

Maybe even go to Italy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what happened to the last person that made Adam eat spaghetti?   
> They're on the moon now and Adam has no regrets.


	22. Haunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam has bad luck at the town's parties, this time will be different though.
> 
> *NSFW*

Pipes creaked inside the walls and Adam hear the shower come on. He looked across the bed, the blanket was pulled back and the man wasn't there. He couldn't remember what they'd done after they got home but he assumed nothing too exciting since his pants were still on. 

He could see a shadow through the open bathroom door, he watched it move and heard the shower door close. Adam pulled back the blanket and crept across the wood floor and onto the cold bathroom tile.

Through the clear glass he could see Sebastian's wet body as he scratched shampoo into his hair. Adam walked closer. 

He could see the water streaming along the groves in Sebastian's body, his hair drained a river down his spine and over his pale bottom.

Adam was at the door now, the wet man's eyes were shut as he rinsed the soap from his hair in the steaming streams of water. 

"Hey hot stuff" he whispered.

Sebastian spasmed in fright, almost loosing his balance as he cursed "Jesu- fuck Adam" he held a hand on his chest as he breathed heavily.

He chuckled as he watched the man push water off his face and open his eyes.

"Sorry" Adam pulled his pants off and opened the door "Can I join you?". 

The man nodded as he looked Adam up and down, his eyes were squinted in anger but Adam saw the corner of his lips rise. Adam stepped in and Sebastian leaned slightly forward to let the water pass him.

Adam looked at the sight before him and smiled. He put a hand on Sebastian's back and felt the man shudder. The hand traced the man's spine down his back, he stopped on the pale butt and squeezed it. Sebastian didn't say a word but placed his arms against the front of the shower. The hand moved toward the center of the cheeks, water rushed around his fingers as he traced around the pink hole, Sebastian let out a soft breath.

He slid his back down the glass wall then kissed a pale cheek. Then he buried his face between Sebastian's ass and moved his tongue in circles around the hole. Sebastian let out soft pants, though Adam couldn't see his face with the water blasting into his eyes. He felt the muscles tense as he pushed gently at the opening with his tongue, then relax and as his tongue slid between the skin. He dropped a hand from one hip and reached around to grab Sebastian's erection, the water sloshed between the friction of his strokes. He felt the man's penis pulse each time his tongue moved, his own body responded to the man's pleasure. He pushed his tongue as far as it could go, then pulled it back before repeating the process. He continued, paying no attention to his own throbbing penis as he writhed in the pleasure he was giving. He could feel vibrations on his tongue as Sebastian's knees trembled. 

"Adam" 

He pulled away and wiped water from his face. 

Sebastian's face was red as he looked behind him, his hands still pressed onto the wall "I want you". The man moved forward as Adam rose from his knees, Then he pushed back in to the man, pushing his butt up against the Adam's hips, turning his head to kiss the wet face behind him. 

He held Sebastian firmly against his body, his open palm rubbing the man's chest. His mind melted as their mouths connected, the man pushed his butt back further into Adam's crotch. He let out a moan into Sebastian's mouth, the man's dark brown eyes stared into his in desperation.

Sebastian's hand went down and grabbed the man's member at his hips, pointing it at his hole, then gently pushed back into it as he pulled his face away from Adam. 

Adam held the hips tightly as they moved, his back was up against the cold glass wall of the shower , he stood still as the man continued to push against him. The hole loosened, and the head of Adam's penis sank in. Sebastian let out a small grunt and stopped moving, then slowly pushed further down, swallowing the length as he moaned. The steam from the hot shower filled Adam's head, his mind spun as he felt himself join with Sebastian. He watched the man push back until the man's ass was against his hips. 

He pushed forward gently, Sebastian yelped and took a hand from the wall to cover his mouth. He did it again, slowly at first before pulling himself out further to push his cock deeper into the man. Sebastian's hand couldn't quiet the moaning, he dropped it and wrapped it around his own penis. Adam placed both his hands on the man's shoulders, stabilizing him as he thrust harder. He watched the man's wet black hair bounce as his body shook with each thrust. Water sloshed between their grinding bodies and splashed out each time his hips met the man's bottom. Adam's breathing was heavy as he continued, seeing Sebastian like this was too much for him. He shut his eyes and tried to clear his mind as he continued to push himself into the man. 

"Adam - wait"

He opened his eyes to see Sebastian's hands back on the shower wall, he was breathing heavily. He didn't stop himself in time, he watched the other man's fists close, then one went back down and felt the man push back onto Adam's cock as he let out a loud moan. 

Adam's heart raced at the sight and he continued his thrusting as Sebastian's body rose up. He wrapped a hand into the man's hair and pulled him to his face.

He moaned into the man's mouth "Shit - Sebastian" then let out a sharp gasp, his eyes shut tight, as he felt himself release inside the man. Sebastian bit at the lip of his open mouth, he smiled as Adam reopened his eyes. 

Sebastian gave the man a peck and whispered "Hey, hot stuff" before he pulled his hips away and began rinsing his body off. Adam leaned against the cold shower wall and panted heavily, then joined the man under the stream of warm water. 

-

 

"Today is Spirits Eve, you wanna go?" 

Sebastian was digging through the backpack he brought. He pulled out a handful of black clothing and sorted through it. He picked up a black shirt that looked exactly like the others and put it on. 

"Sounds fun" replied Adam as he sat down on the bed and watched the man get dressed. He was covered in sweat and dirt from the garden. He let Sebastian finish his shower while he took care of Gunther and his roses. He was surprised Sebastian had taken so long, he had been out there for almost an hour. 

"It's Abby's favorite holiday, she likes scary stuff"

Adam nodded and laid back on the bed. Sebastian slapped his knee. 

"Get off my side, you're all dirty" 

A smile flashed onto Adam's face as he rose from the bed "You're side?". 

"Yeah, I always sleep on the left side" he pulled his pants up and buttoned them. He glared at the man still sitting on the bed "Get up, You're gross".

Adam stood up and walked over to the man. 

"Adam no" he held out a hand.

"Adam s-" Adam wrapped his arms around Sebastian, squeezing him as he kissed his forehead.

"I'm going to kill you" Sebastian seethed before returning a kiss. 

"You need to go shower, you stink"

Adam frowned and let the man go, lifting his shirt to smell himself. It was slightly sour, probably from the mixture of Gunther Juice and dirt. He sighed and walked to the bathroom. 

"You want to join me?" he poked his head out of the door and grinned at Sebastian. 

"No" the man rolled his eyes but smiled softly. 

Adam walked out from the behind the door and slowly pulled the tee shirt off his wet body "You sure?". 

The man stood with his arms on his hips and nodded, "Maybe later, hot stuff" he winked. 

That was enough for Adam, he pulled the shirt off and winked back at Sebastian before walking back into the bathroom. 

Adam stood under the now cold water coming from the shower head. He had no clue what Spirits Eve meant in this world, back home they would carve pumpkins at home and eat candy. There was a pit in his stomach that he couldn't shake: the last time he attended a town event it hadn't turned out well.

He shook his head under the water, his hair fanned out and splattered the walls of the shower. This time would be better, all their friends would be there, Danny would be there.

There's nothing to worry about. 

 

-

 

They met up with Abigail and Danny in front of the General Store, they wore matching long black dresses, their faces were stained with black eyeliner, fake blood dripped from their mouths. 

"I like your costume Abby, Danny didn't want to dress up?"

Danny punched Adam in the chest "Silence, mortal". 

Abigail fanned her dress menacingly "We are undead sisters of the night" she hissed. 

"Spooky, I like it" Sebastian nodded at the display. 

"Why can't you be supportive like Sebastian" Danny gave Adam another punch on the shoulder. 

"You look great" he smiled, then turned to Sebastian "I didn't know we were supposed to dress up"

Abigail chimed in "It's just a personal preference".

He looked around, Danny and Abigail were the only ones not in usual clothing. He saw rows of tables lined with pumpkins and platters of food, everyone in town was gathered around piling food onto their plates. 

"Food!" He pulled Sebastian along as he ran to the tables.

"We haven't eaten dinner" Sebastian shouted to the girls as he ran beside Adam. 

He picked up a plate from the table and began piling on the food: mac and cheese, turkey, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, peas and carrots. It all smelled delicious, especially the mac and cheese. 

Sebastian found Sam who was already sitting and stuffing his face. He waved at Adam to come sit. He squeezed onto the edge of the bench and began eating. 

"What else do you do during Spirits Eve?" Adam asked after eating a large portion of the mac. 

"The maze is all that we do really, nobody's ever found the end though" Sam replied. 

Adam looked across the tables, Abigail and Danny were standing in the distance, talking and looking at them. Sam must have noticed them as well. 

"Abigail doesn't eat before the maze, she says it slows her down" 

"She loves holidays doesn't she" Adam said as he waved at the girls

"Yes" exclaimed Sam and Sebastian in unison. 

The boys continued eating, between bites Adam caught on to Sam's cautious glances at the girls every few seconds. The thought of asking him what he thought of his sister crossed his mind but he decided against it. Danny was bold enough to make her own move if she wanted to. He nodded to himself as he took another bite, best to stay out of it. 

"So, Danny's hot isn't she Sam?" Sebastian said calmly. 

Adam and Sam choked on their food. 

Sam swallowed and cleared his throat, his face turned a darker shade of red after each cough.

"That's Adam's sister, and she's friends with Abigail, I can't do that to my friends".

Sebastian rolled his eyes "Well Abigail's been texting me all night to try to ask you subtly". 

"That was subtle?" Adam looked across the table in shock. 

Sam was beet red as he stared into his plate. 

"Is that a no? or - i'll just tell Abby no then" he pulled out his phone. 

Sam perked up and grabbed the man's arm. "Stop - I just - I" He took deep breaths and pushed his hair back. 

"Its a yes or no question Sam" Sebastian stared at the blonde with a bored expression. 

"But It's Adam's sister" he gave a nervous smile to Adam. 

Adam chuckled, he'd never seen Sam flustered like this, he was usually calm and collected unless someone was in danger. 

"She's my older sister, she doesn't need me to protect her" he shrugged at the man. 

"You've got 3 seconds to give me an answer"

"Wait, no I don't know, what if she doesn't like me?" 

"2"

"Sebastian, wait please don't" 

"1"

"Yes, okay yes" he moaned into his hands as he looked at Sebastian's phone in horror.

Sebastian put his phone back into his pocket and smiled smugly.

Sam looked confused "You aren't going to send it?".

"I was joking" the smile on Sebastian's face grew into a wicked full teeth grin. 

 

"Sebastian that was brutal" Adam's mouth hung open in a mixture of delight and horror. He held his palm up behind Sam's head that was now buried in his hands. Sebastian high-fived him. 

 

"Are we going to do the maze? Whats wrong with Sam?" Abigail's hands were on the table as she looked down at the three of them.

"Is he sick?" Danny rushed behind Sam and began to rub his back. 

"What's so funny?" Abigail asked, seeing Adam and Sebastian trying to hold back laughter. 

"Nothing" Adam said in a horse voice as he choked back a laugh. He stood and helped Sam get up from his chair. 

Danny looked at Adam, she passed a concerned glance at Sam, Adam shook his head and smiled then gave her a wink. 

The maze entrance was north of the town, large walls of green hedge had appeared overnight, dim blue tinted candles lit the path in front of them. Though none wanted to be the first to enter. 

Adam waited at the entrance beside Sebastian who didn't seem scared but didn't want to lead. Adam hated the dark, he hated being scared, and he hated mazes.

"Guess I'll lead you babies" Danny walked forward, pulling Sam by the arm in with her.

Adam quickly grabbed Abigail arm before she walked in after, then he slowly followed his sister with both Sebastian and Abigail by his side. Each step was torture, the night was silent his own footsteps were the only thing he could hear and even they scared him. 

He pulled Abigail and Sebastian away from a hedge as they turned a corner. 

"Something moved" he whispered as he stared at the mass of leaves. 

"We just walked in, there's nothing scary yet" Sebastian squeezed the man's hand. 

They continued on, Adam quickened his pace to keep up with Danny and Sam ahead of them as they turned another corner. He tried to block it all out, the rustling in the hedges, the darkness, the shadowy figures passing by openings in the hedges. He ran and pulled Abigail and Sebastian along with him to keep up with his sister as she made another turn. 

The three of them made the same turn and saw an empty line of hedges in front of them. 

"Where did they go?"

His eyes were wide with terror, he knew they made this exact turn but they weren't there now. He stared down the long empty path, there was nowhere else they could have gone. He heard a woman laugh in the distance, he shut his eyes tight, his body felt cold. 

"We lost them" He turned to his right and squeezed Sebastian's hand.

Sebastian wasn't there, he wasn't holding anything in his hand.

He looked to his left, Abigail was gone. 

His heart beat quickly as he turned around. 

He looked at the path he had just come through, the opening that he just walked through with his friends. 

It was a wall. Green thicket rose high above his head, higher than he remembered it being. 

"No" he cried, his hands pushed against the hedge, looking for a secret passage that he might have slipped into. He pushed against every inch of the wall but nothing, the hedge was thick with branches and leaves, he couldn't even get an arm through. 

He felt a breath on his neck. He shut his eyes and tried to leave.

He breathed in, then out slowly. 

His eyes opened but he still stared at the green hedge. 

"Are you lost, boy?"

Adam's body froze, hearing the shrill voice from behind him. Tears fell from his face now as he slowly turned his head toward the voice. 

His stomach turned as his eyes stared into the distance. A figure stood at the end of the path. It walked toward him slowly and Adam backed up into the hedge, he stared at it in horror as it took soft steps. 

He was afraid to close his eyes but he wanted to leave. 

Adam closed his eyes.

He breathed in. 

Then out. 

 

He heard the voice in his ear.

"You aren't going anywhere, boy"


	23. The Last Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam's in trouble(again) and its up to his friends to save the day

"Thanks mister and missus Morgan, have a wonderful night" The woman waved from the door, her puffy green dress billowed in the wind from outside. Then she gently shut the door, the white lace curtain waved in the air as it closed. 

Danny flashed Adam a worried look "Maybe she will be nice today".

Adam shook his head and held his sister's hand with both his hands. He knew she wouldn't. Every time his parents went out she was here, she tortured them, she hurt them. Even Danny couldn't protect him from this woman. 

The door shut, Adam heard the deadbolt as it snapped into place. Then the woman's heels clacked against the wood floor as she walked toward them. 

He looked up at Danny, she had a smile on her face but Adam knew that wasn't how she smiled. He felt her fear, his hand felt the blood pulsing through her wrist as he held it tight.

"Are you children going to be good today?" 

Danny nodded "Yes ma'am" her voice cracked. 

Adam crossed his pudgy arms and frowned at her.

The woman knelt down and looked at him "What about you, young man?" she pinched his fat cheek. 

He didn't say a word to her, he continued to glare at her. 

She sighed as she stood back up "Okay, time for dinner, I brought spaghetti for you two". The woman grabbed his sister's hand and pulled her to the dining room, Adam grabbed his sister's hand and followed reluctantly. 

They watched the woman unpack her lunch box and set out plastic containers of food, then she sat at the head of the table and waved her arms for them to sit. 

Danny quickly climbed the chair and looked at the food "Thank you Miss Drew". 

"You're welcome, go ahead and eat before it gets cold" the woman smiled wide, Adam knew it was fake, she was a witch, an evil witch.

He climbed the chair and looked into the plastic container. It looked like a brain, and blood, she was trying to poison them. 

Adam stuck his tongue out as he poked the soggy noodles with his finger. 

"Don't play with your food Adam" The woman stood from her chair, giving the boy a stern look. 

"I'm not hungry" Adam said, pushing the food away from him. He saw Danny's eyes widen from across the table. She nodded her head and ate the food, trying to get Adam to do the same. He furiously shook his head. 

Ms. Drew took the tupperware and placed it in in front of him again. 

"Eat Adam" she said again. 

Adam shook his head "I don't want any". 

The woman slapped Adam's face with her bony hand and cursed. Danny watched Adam with fear in her eyes. The woman dipped her hand into the plastic container, bringing up a handful of spaghetti. 

"Open your mouth, boy" she slapped the handful of food against the boy's red face. 

"Ah ah" He grunted behind his closed lips. 

The woman's other hand pinched his nose, she held it closed until Adam felt dizzy. He quickly opened his mouth to take a breath and the woman shoved the pasta into his mouth. 

Adam coughed and gagged as wet noodles flew into his windpipe from the breath. His eyes watered as tried to cough the pasta out of his mouth. He pulled long strangs of pasta from his throat and coughed up the red sauce onto the table. 

"ADAM" she screamed and took another handful.

He jumped off the chair and ran. He knew the front door was locked so he ran down the hallway, he could hear her heels hitting the floor as she chased him. He ran into the kitchen and tried to reach the doorknob to the back door but it was too high. He got down on his knees and pulled the thin wooden board up from the cat door. He knew he could fit, he'd done it before. 

Adam squeezed and kicked his way through the tiny door just as the woman came into the kitchen, he made it, he escaped.

The door flung open and the woman grabbed his arm before he could run. 

"Get back here, boy" she screamed. Her shrill voice pierced his ears, his heart beat quickly as he felt her cold hands on his arm. 

He squirmed in her grasp and tried to pull away her fingers from his arm, she dug her nails into his skin and he cried out in pain. 

Then the woman grabbed his hair, Adam was scared, he couldn't move he didn't want his head to fall off his body. The woman lifted him up to her face, she spat in Adam's face, he blinked trying to get it out of his eyes. Rage and fear poured through his tiny body as he stared at the cruel woman that held him.

She gave him a disgusted smile, then turned with Adam still held by the hair to walk back inside.

 

Then Adam saw it, he knew it was the moon but it was so much bigger than it normally was. It was perfectly round and white, a shining golf ball floating in the sky. He wanted Ms Drew to be on the moon, he wanted her to be all alone up there where she couldn't hurt anyone ever again. That would probably be torture for her, to not be able to be mean to kids. He shut his eyes and imagined her all alone on the moon, nobody to hurt, no TV, no Pokemon, all by herself. 

He opened his eyes and stared angrily at Ms Drew, she had a satisfied look on her face.

"There it is" she whispered.

The boy's face softened, he saw a bright light reflecting in the woman's eyes. He saw the moon, no, two moons, they shone on the wet surface of her iris. He tried to look closer, squinting at the woman, trying to make out what he was seeing. 

Then she was gone. He fell to the floor with a thud as her hand released his hair. 

He looked up at the moon and smiled, it saved him, it took Ms Drew away and he was safe. 

He thanked the moon with a gentle nod, then squirmed back in through the cat door.

 

-

 

Water splashed onto Adam's face. He let out a yelp as the cold water soaked his face and clothes, his skin tightened all around his body in shock as he was jolted awake. 

He opened his eyes, he was kneeling in the dirt. A red circle was drawn around him in some kind of powder, he tried to move closer to inspect it, but his body wouldn't move.

"Adam, It's been so long" the shrill voice called out, it echoed all around him. 

His eyes widened as he searched for the voice, he saw a figure in the shadows. He looked around him, he was in a stone building, ivy and foliage pierced the cracks of the walls and grew into the hut, they grew up and formed a canopy over the roof of the building.

Rows of colorful vials lined a shelf to his left, on the right stood a massive birdcage made of intricate black metal, in front of him stood three massive stone pillars with runes etched into them. The center pillar had a single rune that glowed in green light. 

He wasn't in the maze anymore, he didn't remember leaving or being taken anywhere. He shut his eyes and tried to leave again. 

"It's no use Adam" The figure stepped out from the shadows toward him, it's slender arm reached out to graze the stone pillar as it moved past it into the light. 

A slender woman entered the light, she wore a long black dress. Her skin was green, deep cracks ran throughout her face and hands. 

"Who are you?" he called out to the woman. 

The woman frowned at him, she walked closer, then a black chair appeared behind her and she sat. 

"That's not nice Adam, after what you did to me you should at least remember my name" her face twisted into a smile. 

Adam looked at her in confusion. She did look familiar, it took him a moment, then his gaze turned to disgust.

"See, you remember do remember your dear, sweet nanny" she cackled. "That wasn't a nice thing to do Adam, the moon wasn't a fun place to be". 

"You should've stayed there Ms Drew" he seethed, after all this time his hatred for the woman was still there. His eyes burned with rage seeing her again. 

She cackled again and returned his furious gaze "You'll have to do better than that to kill me, boy; and much, much better to kill the Watcher" her eyes widened at the name, she barred her teeth and snarled. 

What was she to survive the moon and return? What did the Watcher have to do with any of this? Adam shook his head in frustration: he wanted to leave, wanted to find his friends. 

The woman rose from her chair and paced frantically in front of Adam. 

"There it is" she whispered, her eyes grew wide as she stared into the distance.

Then her gaze broke and she covered her eyes with her green hands. 

"No no no NONONO!" she screamed. Her nails clawed at her skin, pieces of the green flesh ripped off to reveal pale white skin underneath, but the green skin reformed over it quickly. 

She fell to her knees and covered her ears, she let out a high pitched scream that shook Adam, he watched in terror as the scream tore through his head.

Adam felt his foot twitch. 

Her screech dimmed until her mouth was open but produced no sound, then she slowly stood back up. 

"All you love will die" her voice was monotonous. 

She pointed behind Adam with a slender green finger. His body spun around quickly. 

On the floor against the wall lay his friends and sister. Their bodies were slumped over, their eyes were wide all of them looking desperately at Adam. 

Ms Drew walked into Adam's view, she paced in front of his frozen friends, their eyes followed her in terror. 

"Don't touch them" Adam seethed, his heart skipped as her finger passed by Sebastian. He tried to move his foot again, it slowly twitched out toward the circle's edge.

The woman flashed him an evil smile "How cute", she wrapped a finger around a lock of Abigail's purple hair. 

Adam screamed at her in anger "YOU FUCKING BITCH, I'LL KILL YOU" he twisted his neck trying to free his body. He wanted to rip the woman's head off but the hold was too great, he couldn't move his body an inch. 

The woman laughed again and moved over to Sam, she knelt down beside him. 

His face was red with fury, every muscle in his neck strained as he let out another roar.

"Still not enough?" she whispered, her finger trailed along Sam's cheek. Sam's eyes pleaded to Adam, he could see tears falling from the man's eyes as they turned to the woman. 

The woman looked back at Adam and frowned "Maybe this will help". She snapped her fingers. 

Sam's body disappeared, a white dove batted its wings where the man had been sitting, Adam watched as it took flight, the bird flew in circles around the room, hitting itself against the walls and falling to the floor before taking flight again. The ivy thicket that covered the roof moved, vines swirled around creating an opening to the dark night's sky. The dove fluttered its wings and took off out the open canopy. 

White noise filled Adam's ears, hot tears flooded down his face as he stared back at the woman.

She smiled now as she looked at Adam.

The circle around Adam caught flame, he didn't feel the heat but he could see the sparks cascading from the tips of the flames as they licked his skin. His eyes felt hot, they burned in his head but he couldn't shut them. 

His body spun on its own, pointing his face toward the giant birdcage he'd seen earlier. Adam screamed in pain as the heat from his eyes burned into his brain. Images of the Watcher flashed through his mind. 

Then the fire died. He shut his eyes tightly and the pain dissipated. 

"Good boy" he felt the woman's bony fingers scratch against his head. 

He opened his eyes and saw the Watcher in the birdcage. He was frozen inside the cage, Adam could see his eyes darting around in horror as his body remained motionless. 

"Hello Rasmodius" the woman held the bars of the birdcage tightly as she smiled wickedly at the man. The man's eyes darted between the woman and Adam. His eyes begged Adam for help. 

Adam focused on his foot again, he had to get out, he couldn't save the watcher but he could still save his friends. 

He pushed the foot as far as he could. He felt the powder at the edge of the circle scrape against the floor and his body fell.

The woman looked back at him, her eyes hot with anger. 

Adam pushed off the floor and ran to his friends, he could hear the woman running after him. She wouldn't catch him, he could make it to his friends and get them home to safety. 

He heard a snap from behind him and he fell, he pushed his arms out to stop his head from hitting the floor. 

"No running Adam" the woman laughed. 

Pain shot through him, he looked back, his pant leg was splattered with blood from the inside, he could see his shoe pointing upwards as he lay on his chest. He looked back to his friends and crawled towards them. 

The woman stomped her foot onto Adam's leg, his body shook in pain as he stopped crawling.

He could see his friends, their faces red and filled with tears as they looked at him.

A tear fell from his eye as he smiled at them one last time. 

Adam blinked, and they were gone. 

 

He felt another stomp on his leg and he slumped onto the floor. Dirt clung to his wet face as tears streamed from his eyes. 

The woman bent down by his head and wrapped her fist around Adam's hair, then dragged him back to the broken circle of red powder. 

 

-

 

Sebastian sat on the floor of Adam's living room. He looked beside, Danny and Abigail were wiping their faces and rubbing their strained eyes. 

This was Porter all over again, he held his head between his knees. He shouldn't have let Adam get close, he knew it was dangerous. Stupid. 

He slammed a fist into his head as he cried. He felt the pain returning to his chest, it ripped him apart and squeezed his heart tightly. He let out stuttering sobs into his hands. 

"Stop"

He looked up, his eyes blurry from the tears. 

A hand flew at him and turned his head as it hit his face. The shock brought him back into focus. Danny stood over him, her face was also stained with tears but her eyes were narrow, determined. 

"Adam needs help, Sam too. They need you" the young woman held her hand out to him.

"They need you to fight" 

He shut his eyes. She was right, this time would be different, he could change it.

His eyes opened, he would change it. He reached out and grabbed Danny's hand. 

"I think I know where that was" Abigail looked nervously at the two of them. 

"There is a swamp somewhere in Stardew with shrines to an Ancient God but-" she bit her lip "I never found it". 

Danny pulled her long hair back and secured it with a band around her wrist "Then we search". 

"Sebastian you look around the mountain, Abby you look along the coast, I'll look in the woods down south". 

Sebastian nodded and ran out the door. He ran up the mountain path, scanning the walls for any crawlspaces in the walls he might have missed, he ran up and searched the cliff above his house. He began to think about what they would do if they found the hut. The woman broke Adam's leg with a snap of her fingers, they wouldn't be able to even get close to her. 

He stopped his search and looked at his house, he remembered something he'd brought from Zuzu that he'd never thought he would need here. 

Sebastian ran to his house. Thankfully nobody was home, he bolted down the stairs and swung open his door. He got down on his knees and pulled a box from under his bed. He rummaged for a while until he found what he was looking for, then he ran back upstairs to continue his search. 

He swung the door open and ran back to where he'd stopped looking. The sun was rising already, he hadn't slept at all but the adrenaline pumping through him kept him awake. He searched all around the cliff, then ran up the path to the spa. 

Sebastian pushed against the loose rocks in the base of the cliff. None of them opened a secret passage, he'd been up here dozens of times, there was nothing up here but the spa and train tracks. 

He stopped. Beside the spa door sat a small white dove. The bird batted its wings as it cocked its head to look at Sebastian.

"Sam?" 

The bird took off. 

Sebastian chased after it. He wondered if it was actually Sam or if he was just wasting time chasing a bird. 

The dove flew low across the train tracks, he jumped over the tracks and reached out to grab the bird. 

He looked ahead and saw the edge of the cliff, the bird didn't show any signs of stopping. 

"Sam look out" he shouted to the bird as he slowed to a stop.

But it was too late, the bird flew head first into the stone wall. 

Then it was gone. Sebastian looked at the wall with wide eyes and moved closer to it, reaching his hand out at the solid stone. His hand passed through the rock and felt air on the other side. 

He pulled his phone out from his pocket and dialed Abigail's number.

 

-

 

"Where is it?" Danny and Abigail ran across the train tracks toward him.

He waited until they were close enough to see him, then walked into the wall. Abigail and Danny poked their hands through, then moved their bodies through.

The other side of the wall was dark and foggy, the thick canopy of overhead blocked the sun. They heard the buzz of insects all around, a vast green swamp stretched out before them. 

His heart beat quickly, they were getting close. 

A single path of dirt led them across the water. They couldn't see more than a few feet in front of them as they walked. They stayed close to the center of the path, Sebastian monitored the water 

"Wait" Danny whispered in front of them. 

Sebastian looked ahead, a massive creature stood at the center of the path. It didn't see them yet but there was no way around it. He took the small blade from his pocket and held it at his side. 

The beast made a grunt, the three of them could see something attacking it, something small. Its arms reached out and swatted over its head. 

"Is that Sam?" Danny gasped as they saw the small white dove dive at the monster. 

The beast walked into the swamp water as it waved its hands around in the air, it walked deeper and deeper into the water until it was submerged. 

Sebastian rolled his eyes and smiled, maybe after they save Adam they should leave Sam as a bird, he was coming in handy. 

The three of them continued along the dirt path, they soon spotted the small hut. Brown stone walls and a roof made of vines, this was it.

He stopped Danny and Abigail.

"I need you two to go distract her" 

They stared at Sebastian in disgust. He stared back and gave them a nod. He knew it was dangerous but they only had one chance to surprise her. Then once the Watcher was free he could bring them back to life, if it came to that. 

"You better not fuck up" Abigail smiled in submission.

Danny cringed at the other girl's quick acceptance, but nodded as well.

The two of them stood by the door while Sebastian held steady behind them. 

Danny counted down with her fingers. 

She pushed open the door and her and Abigail ran around the room on either side.

Sebastian could see Adam's mangled body back in the red circle, he focused on the woman at the birdcage. She turned quickly at the sudden entrance and her face twisted in anger as she watched the women running across the room. 

He held the door open with a foot as he kept the woman in his sight. 

She looked at the women running at her from both sides and snapped twice in quick succession. 

 

His finger squeezed the trigger, a small explosion rang in his ear. 

He watched the woman fall to the ground, then took a deep breath and lowered the black handgun in his hand. 

Then he ran into the room toward the birdcage. 

"You idiot" Abigail wheezed from the floor, he could see blood pouring from her side. 

"Where's the cool tagline? Like -" she coughed and continued in a weak voice "chew on that, bitch" she chuckled softly then fell to her side. 

He turned from the woman and looked eagerly at the Watcher.

"How do I get you out" he asked quickly, his face was strained as he held back tears. 

The Watcher's eyes shot upwards. 

He looked at the top of the birdcage, a large black gem was wrapped in the black iron. He aimed the gun and shot at it. The gem shattered and the bullet sped into the wall. The iron bars dissolved into black powder and the watcher fell from his frozen position. 

The large man stretched his arms and walked away from Sebastian without a word. He moved over to the woman, the green skin had peeled back around the hole Sebastian had formed in her face, revealing pale skin. He waved a hand and the woman disappeared. 

The Watcher waved his hands over each of Sebastian's injured friends. He watched Abigail's blood pool back into her body in disgust, Adam's leg twisted back into place, Danny's head rolled back to her body and reattached itself.

He swallowed back vomit and asked "What about Sam? She turned him into a dove". 

The large man rolled his eyes and turned to the pillars, he walked to the one on the left. A single rune glowed yellow on its stone face. He crossed his arms and stared at it, then shrugged and snapped his fingers. 

The stone cracked down the middle. Large chunks of stone fell to the ground and the yellow rune dimmed. 

The watcher snapped again and Sam appeared beside him. 

Sebastian sighed deeply. His body hurt all over, his eyes were heavy, the adrenaline in his body was fading. 

"Thank you, I owe you one" he said to the man through a yawn. 

The Watcher turned to look at him, a bored expression on his face "You said that the last time". 

He snapped.


	24. Without You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam has shoes to fill.

Sebastian looked into the mirror in disgust. His hair was slicked back neatly, his white button up and blue tie were neat and wrinkle free. He looked good but he wasn't comfortable in these clothes, no matter how many times he put on his work attire it always squeezed his neck a little too tight. 

A toilet flushed behind him. The stall opened and Sebastian quickly looked down and washed his hands in the sink.

"Oh, Sebastian have you finished the merge yet?"

He look up at the man. It was Jeff, his manager. The man was considerably older than Sebastian, which didn't make him all that confident about being promoted in the company. 

"Almost" he replied as he dried his hands with a wad of tan paper towels. 

"Better luck tomorrow then" Jeff gave Sebastian a nod as he rubbed his hands under the sink. 

Sebastian nodded back and walked out of the restroom, he turned left and headed to the elevator. A small crowd stood in front of the metal doors, he joined the crowd and waited.

"Mondays, right?" A man beside him said, nudging his shoulder. 

Sebastian shot the man an annoyed glare, he wasn't a coworker so he didn't need to pretend to be friendly. 

The man looked defensive but turned away without a word. 

Joja wasn't as bad as Sebastian thought it would be. He was doing the same things he'd be doing at home, the only downside was that he had to interact with people but he convinced himself that the pay increase was worth it. He couldn't afford to live in the city otherwise. 

The elevator dinged and Sebastian walked in with the crowd of people. He could see why some people left the city: he felt so small, so unnoticed in the large groups. Nobody knew him, nobody on the street stopped for small talk. 

Sebastian loved it. 

The elevator doors opened and he walk out, heading to the back doors of the building. He stepped out into the dimly lit parking garage and took a deep breath, letting the stench of gas emissions clear his mind. 

He walked to his bike that sat a few feet away, being the only one at the office with a motorcycle meant he got prime parking right next to the building.

He flung his leg over the seat and fished around in his pocket for his keys. 

"Sebastian wait" 

A woman was running toward him, her short braids bounced behind her. He recognized the woman, Luna was one of his coworkers his team for this project. He was off the clock though and didn't want to be bothered, he put his helmet over his head and buckled it under his chin. 

Something hit his arm as he tried to put the key in the ignition. The bundle of keys dropped to the floor with a clang. 

He looked down at the keys and beside them was a red high heel. He looked at the shoe in awe then up at Luna who was still running at him, she held the other red heel in her hand as she waved at him. 

Sebastian raised the visor on his helmet and shot a puzzled look at her. Did she really just throw her heel at him? 

"I lost my keys" Luna yelled. 

Sebastian rolled his eyes and bent over to pick up the heel and keys on the floor.

The woman's feet slapped against the concrete and stopped beside him. 

Sebastian handed the woman her shoe and she awkwardly accepted it.

"Can you drive me to the coffee shop? Its only two blocks from here, I think I left my keys there" she panted. 

He nodded and the woman awkwardly lifted her skirt and threw a leg over the bike behind him. 

Sebastian twisted the key in the ignition and the bike vibrated beneath them "Hold on tight" he shouted over the engine's rumbling. Her arms wrapped around Sebastian and squeezed him tightly. 

He drove unusually slow, she didn't have a helmet and he didn't need a coworker with brain damage, that would mean more work for him. He pulled into a parking spot along the side walk in front of the small coffee shop. 

Sebastian looked at the store, it didn't look like a big chain cafes that sold sugary drinks, he might as well wait with Luna in case she needed a ride back and get a coffee before he headed home. 

-

"Coffee, black" he told the barista as he slid his card across the black counter. 

The woman behind the counter had large decorative rimmed glasses that Sebastian could tell weren't prescription. She smiled at him and handed his card back to him. He avoided her gaze and accepted his card, stuffing the receipt into his pocket as he walked out of the line. 

He leaned against the wall and waited. He saw Luna pulling up couch cushions in the back of the cafe, he hoped she would find them so she wouldn't ask him to drive her home. He didn't want her to think they were friends just because he helped her this one time. He was enjoying this newfound solitude. 

The barista held a paper cup in the air and shouted "Coffee, Black". Sebastian quickly moved over to the counter and grabbed the cup, then headed to the couch Luna was turning over. 

A firm grasp held his shoulder. 

"Hey man, I think that's mine" he heard from behind him. 

Sebastian twisted around with a disgusted look on his face.

The man he saw behind him also had a disgusted look. Sebastian's collar tightened around his neck as he looked the man over. His short black hair, cold dark eyes, the tattoos on his arms, Sebastian could hear his blood pumping in his ears. He looked at the man's tan arms, at the dark lines painted into his skin, he wondered how far up they went. He pulled himself from the daydream, realizing his mouth was open as he stared at the man with a blank expression. 

He turned the cup around in his hand and looked at the name written in blank sharpie. 

'Porter' 

A cold shiver went through his body as he read the name, then he handed the cup to the man without a word.

The man's face softened as he reached for the cup. Sebastian shivered again as the man's arm reached out to him, his fingers brushed against his as he pulled the cup away. 

"Thanks" the man said quickly, then walked away. 

His heart beat loud in his ears as he watched the man saunter to the door. He bit his lip as his eyes traced the man's body underneath his loose sweatshirt. 

A voice came from behind him "Who was that?" 

"No one" he said quickly as he turned his gaze away from the man.

Luna's dark complexion contrasted with her bright white teeth as she grinned at Sebastian. 

"Interesting" she mused. 

Sebastian rolled his eyes at the woman "Find your keys?". 

She jingled the lanyard on her finger "Yup, can you take me back?". 

He nodded and looked back to the bar "Ordered coffee, might be a while". 

She frowned at him "I don't wanna wait that long, I'll just walk back". Sebastian nodded at her dismissively and she hurried out the door. 

"Coffee, Black" the barista shouted again. 

He took a deep breath and walked to the bar. 

 

-

 

He couldn't stand it when people didn't do their jobs. He should've been able to finish the merge in a day, instead he was having to run through Joe's code looking for the bug.

"Fucking Joe" he seethed silently to the monitor. 

A knock came from his cubicle and he turned away from the screen. Luna stood at the entrance. She was wearing grey slacks with a mustard yellow blouse. 

"Need a break?" she asked with concern. 

"No, I'm fine, almost done" he replied as he turned back to the monitor in frustration. 

The woman walked into his cubicle and sat on the desk. He glanced in her direction and saw the smug grin on her face.

"Going to the coffee shop, sure you don't want to come?" her voice dripping in sarcasm. 

Sebastian's collar tightened.

She leaned in and whispered "Maybe that guy will be there".

He shut his eyes and took a long breath. He wouldn't mind getting another chance to talk to the man, thought Sebastian wasn't sure whether he'd have the courage to if he was there.

"Fine" his lips curled slightly as he rose from his chair. 

He followed her out of his cubicle and toward the elevator. On the walk they talked about Joe, Luna wholeheartedly agreed with Sebastian, she waved her arms around furiously as she told him about the last project that they had been paired up for. 

Sebastian opened the door to the coffee shop and held it for Luna. 

"Then, he told Donna in H.R. that I was aggressive and he didn't want to work with me" she let out a deep moan and rolled her eyes. "Slimy little shit" she moaned. 

Sebastian chuckled and nodded. He scanned the cafe quickly and was disappointed, Porter wasn't here. 

"Too bad" Luna gave him a pat on the back, noticing his sad expression as they walked to the line.

They put in their orders and took a seat at a booth in the back of the cafe, resuming their discussion about bad coworkers. 

 

He heard the barista shout his order and he excused himself from Luna's rage fueled rant. He turned the corner and stopped as he stared across the room.

Porter walked away from the bar, his lips pressed against the paper cup that Sebastian knew was his. 

He hurried over to the man and stepped in front of him before he made it to the door. 

The man stopped, his face confused at the man blocking his path. Then his face softened in realization, he turned the cup around and read the name written on it.

"Sorry Christian" he smiled awkwardly as he looked up from the cup. 

"It's Sebastian" he corrected.

The man turned the cup to Sebastian where it did in fact read Christian. Porter chuckled as Sebastian stared at the cup in disgust. Damn baristas always got his name wrong.

"I already drank from it" he said nervously as he pulled the cup back. "You can take mine when it comes out". 

Sebastian's brow furrowed. He'd have to make this his lunch break if he waited any longer for a drink. He rolled his eyes and nodded.

Porter gave an embarrassed smile "Sorry man, um - " he nervously scratched his head, then checked the time on his watch. 

"Come back tomorrow, same time, my treat"

"Kay" he replied quickly, then moved out of the man's way. He headed back to Luna, his heart beat quickly. 

Tomorrow he would see him again, another chance for him to summon the courage to be brave. 

 

-

 

Sebastian entered the coffee shop and saw Porter sitting at a booth with two coffees. He strolled over and took a seat across from the man.

Porter looked up and smiled at Sebastian "Sorry again about yesterday" he pushed one of the cups across the table. 

"Don't worry about it, I did it too" he replied as he pulled the cup to his mouth. 

"You work around here?" the man asked.

He nodded, drinking his coffee as the other man stared at him. 

Porter sat back and held his coffee to his mouth. 

"You always so cold Sebastian?" he smirked. 

Sebastian wasn't actually being cold, being around the man made him anxious. His palms were sweaty and his tight collar choked him. Each time he looked at the other man he felt like he'd melt into a puddle of sweat. 

He shrugged and replied "I just don't like small talk". 

Porter chuckled "Shall we just sit in silence and drink our coffee then?". 

A grin formed on Sebastian's lips "Sounds good". 

Porter nodded, he drank his coffee in silence and stared across the table as Sebastian did the same. 

Sebastian quickly chugged his drink, feeling an awkward tension as the man stared him. He wasn't feeling brave today, maybe he could try again tomorrow, the man seemed to come here every day. 

"Hey Sebastian" Porter said before he could stand to leave.

His heart was racing, he reluctantly looked at Porter and grunted. 

"Same time tomorrow?" The man asked hesitantly.

Sebastian felt like his body was going to melt, he pulled at his collar. 

"Sure" he replied. 

Porter smiled wide at him.

"Great, its a date"

 

-

 

The wind blew past him as he sped along the freeway. He cursed Joe in his head, his sloppy work was the reason he had to stay late today. He wasn't going to have time to clean, he hadn't even started dinner, they'd just have to eat takeout. 

He saw his exit and turned the bike into the right lane, slowing down as he made the wide turn down the ramp. 

He pulled into the complex and parked in front of his building. He could see Porter on the third floor, staring down from the stairwell. 

He looked annoyed. 

Sebastian pulled the key from the ignition and ran up the rickety cement steps. 

He panted when he reached the second floor "I'm sorry, I had a thing at work".

Porter nodded, his face looked agitated, his eyes were darting back and forth around the complex. 

Sebastian led the man to his door and unlocked it, he cringed at his pile of clothes strewn across the floor in the small one bedroom.

"I'm sorry its a mess" he stammered as he ran in and began picking up the clutter. 

Porter moved into the door, Sebastian heard the lock turn. 

"Sebastian" he sounded angry. 

Sebastian stopped straightening the room. He knew he messed up, this wasn't how he envisioned their first non-coffee date. He shut his eyes and cursed Joe in his head. 

"Sorry" he bit his lip and scowled to himself, he couldn't look at the man he was so embarrassed at the mess.

"Are you crazy?" he grabbed Sebastian's arm, turning him around. "This is literally the worst part of town, why are you living here?". 

"What?" Sebastian's eyes narrowed. He wasn't mad about the date?

"I head four gunshots outside Sebastian, FOUR I've only been here ten minutes" his dark brown eyes stared into Sebastian's with concern. 

"I thought - no those are fireworks" he replied in a puzzled tone, his eyes darted around as he thought about what the man was saying. Gunshots? Why would there be gunshots in the middle of the day?

"Oh- Sebastian" Porter pulled him into a hug and patted his head "Sweet, innocent Sebastian" he stroked his long hair as he pressed him into his chest.

"You live in the hood"

He felt the man's soft chuckling through his chest as he held him. What was he talking about? Sure there were people walking around at all hours, and he did hear loud noises often, and his rent was very cheap, that didn't mean this was the hood did it? Maybe it did. That would actually explain a lot. He remembered the car last week that sped past the apartment, he assumed the loud bangs that came from it was its engine sputtering. 

"So you aren't mad that I was late?" he asked. 

Porter shook his head. 

"Or that my room's a mess?" 

"Nope"

"You okay with delivery?" 

"Love it" he let Sebastian out of the embrace and stared at him like a lost puppy. 

"But when the driver gets here, I'm going to answer the door" he chuckled and kissed Sebastian's forehead. 

Sebastian nodded, smiling as he leaned his head onto the man's chest. 

 

-

 

He aimed the handgun at the target and breathed deeply before squeezing the trigger, the recoil from the gun shook his whole body, the loud gunshot still audible through the thick black earmuffs. Sebastian felt a rush of energy flow through him as the bullet flew across the range.

The paper zoomed toward him on the thin wire, Sebastian smiled as he saw the tiny hole near the center of the paper. He turned back to look at Porter, placing the gun down carefully beside him. 

The man looked terrified and impressed all at once. He held up a hand and Sebastian slapped it eagerly. 

"Maybe I should've gotten you pepper spray" he looked nervously at Sebastian "I'm scared what you'll do if we ever get in a fight" he chuckled softly, looking again at the target. 

"Better not piss me off then" he gave the man a quick peck.

"Hit three more just like that and I'll think about it" he winked and turned Sebastian back toward the range. 

"Three more and you take me out to eat" he called as he picked up the black handgun. 

"Deal" the man replied. Sebastian smiled as he aimed again at the target.

 

-

 

"Cruz, party of three"

They followed behind the hostess and sat at the table, Sebastian and Luna were still in their work clothes but Porter wore a nice blazer and dress pants. Sebastian looked around the room nervously and felt out of place in his business casuals. 

A fancily dressed waiter approached the table and told them about the day's specials. 

Sebastian ordered a steak. 

Luna kicked his foot under the table once the waiter had left. He looked up at the woman and leaned in as she covered her mouth with a hand, whispering "We look like shit" into Sebastian's ear. He didn't realize when Porter invited them out that it'd be this fancy. 

He looked at her apologetically and shrugged. 

Porter smiled at the two of them "You look fine, here i'll join you" he slipped his blazer off and laid it on the chair beside him, then rolled up his sleeves: displaying the full length of his forearm tattoos.

Sebastian eyed him sarcastically "Still too good looking, take more off". 

Luna laughed "Take all your clothes off, then put your blazer back on. Then you'll be on our level". 

Porter gave Sebastian a smug wink "That'll have to wait for after dinner".

The three of the chatted about work and life until the waiter reappeared with their food. 

The steak was excellent, perfectly cooked medium rare. Each bite was bliss in Sebastian's mouth.

"I take credit for this you know" Luna waved her fork between Adam and Porter as she pulled her knife through a fillet of salmon. 

"If I didn't force Sebastian back to that Cafe you never would've met". 

Sebastian rolled his eyes and looked at Porter who was chewing a piece of his own steak, chuckling at the woman.

Porter swallowed his food. "Actually" he looked at Sebastian nervously "I took your coffee on purpose". 

Both of Sebastian's eyebrows arched as he stared at the man. 

"That was the third time I went back to the Cafe, and I saw you but I couldn't approach you" he looked down in shame "So I took your coffee and drank it on purpose". 

"To get him to talk to you?" Luna looked at the man dumbfounded.

He nodded "I drank a lot of coffee that day. But it worked didn't it?".

The two of them laughed. 

Sebastian rolled his eyes and chuckled along with them.

"Yeah, I guess it did"

-

 

"Come look at this guy"

Sebastian turned from his shopping cart, Porter was hovering at a table for animal adoptions at the entrance of the store, in one of the crates an enormous black cat was licking its paw. 

"Do you like cats? We could get one for the new apartment" he wiggled his finger through the bars, the cat paid no attention. 

"Cats are okay, but I still have a month on my lease" He leaned against the man and watched the cat clean itself. It was cute, he'd consider it once they were moved in together. He was excited to move out of the hood and closer to work, but more excited to be able to spend more time with Porter.

"Well if he is still here by the time we move in, I'm going to get him" he scrunched his face at the cat, the fat pile of black fur meowed backed at Porter. 

Sebastian pulled the man away from the display and back to the cart.

The passed by a small stand of cards with pre-written messages, Porter slapped his head and groaned "I forgot, I was going to get concert tickets for our two year anniversary". 

"To see who?" Sebastian asked in excitement. He'd never had the chance to see a live performance since he'd moved to the city. 

Porter shrugged, then wrapped his arm around Sebastian and kissed his forehead. 

"Whoever you want, I'll enjoy it as long as I'm with you"

-

Sebastian sat at the booth and sipped from the warm paper cup. He looked across at the table at the empty black cushion. The pain wasn't as bad, he stared at the seat and shut his eyes. He felt guilty for moving on from Porter, for moving on with his life. It didn't feel right. Porter was dead and he was living his life, dating again. It was sick to think that way, he knew that much, but he couldn't help feeling like he was disrespecting Porter's memory. He took a deep breath and let a single tear roll down his face before wiping his eyes. 

He shook the thoughts from his head and drank the coffee. 

A woman slid into the booth across from him, her white pantsuit crinkled as she scooted into the seat. Luna gave him a soft, sad smile and slid her arm across the table, taking hold of Sebastian's hand. 

"I've missed you Sebastian" her voice was soft.

"I missed you too, It's been a long time" he smiled weakly back at the woman and gave her hand a brief squeeze. 

The woman chuckled "A very long time".

He smiled back at her, he really did miss her. He felt guilty leaving his partner in crime but she understood his reasoning and gave her blessing. She was the only one that he'd told about Porter, she was at the funeral, she sat up with Sebastian when all he could do was cry into the pillow. She was the only reason he had to stay in Zuzu and she understood why that wasn't enough. 

He cleared his throat and sniffled "How's work?". 

Luna pulled her hand away and rolled her eyes "Don't even get me started". 

Sebastian's face brightened as he let out a chuckle. 

"Go for it" 

She massaged her temple "One word, Joe". 

They both broke into laughter. 

"They promoted him - JOE. I - AM - DEVASTATED" she slammed her fist onto the table after each word.

Sebastian had tears in his eyes he was laughing so hard.

She pointed at him threateningly "You laugh, but you don't have to work with him every day". 

He wiped his eyes and grinned "You're right, I'd be pissed too". 

"How have you been then?" she folded her arms.

He shrugged "Back to what I was doing before, self-employment. Its nice to be back home but I miss the city, miss you". 

Her eyebrows raised and her bright red lip pouted "You can always come back if you think you're ready, I can talk to -" she cringed and rolled her eyes "Joe about bringing you back in". 

Sebastian shook his head and looked at her with guilt. He spoke slowly and turned his eyes from her "Actually, I met someone". 

Her hand shot across the table and grabbed his, she beamed with interest. 

"Tell me everything" 

He chuckled at her. She was a glutton for romance, though Sebastian suspected that was the reason she never stayed in a relationship for long. She was always searching for her perfect love story. 

"His name is Adam" he started to smile but as the name came from his mouth he felt a pain in his chest. He could see Porter looking back at him from across the table. He watched the man's lips curl up into a smile, his eyes were gentle. 

Sebastian reached a hand out to touch the face "Porter - I" but the face vanished, he pulled back his hand, seeing Luna staring with concern. 

"I'm sorry" he slid out from the booth and stood up. 

Luna grabbed his wrist "I think you should tell him, he would be happy for you" tears held at the side of her eyes as she looked up at Sebastian. 

"He's gone Luna, he doesn't want to hear that I've moved on" his voice cracked as his own tears rolled down his face.

She pulled herself out of the booth and stood, pulling Sebastian into her white blazer.

Her voice was soft in his ear "He wants to know that you're happy". Her hand stroked the back of his head as he let out whimpers into her shoulder "He needs to know you're okay".

"Lets go, I'll drive you" she pulled his hand as she headed toward the door. 

-

 

They walked through the grassy field into a cement niche encircled by massive marble pillars. They turned to the left and stood before a pillar, golden plaques marked each of the square marble slabs. 

Sebastian found the plaque inscribed with 'Porter Cruz'. His fingers traced the letters on the cold metal. Luna bowed her head, her face sullen as it rose. 

"I'll wait by the car" Luna squeezed Sebastian's hand before turning away. 

He sat on the cold marble bench and stared at the plaque. His gaze was emotionless, he hadn't been here since the funeral. He didn't believe in talking to the dead, they couldn't respond so what was the point?

Luna was right though, if Porter could hear him he deserved to know. 

 

He began softly "I miss you".

Sebastian rubbed his eyes and leaned his elbows onto his knees. "Its been really hard without you" tears welled in his eyes but he sniffled and continued "I moved back home - I couldn't be in the city anymore". 

He chuckled softly "You're probably glad to hear I moved out of the hood". He could imagine the man's face, his voice as he exclaimed 'Finally'. 

It was hard to fight back the tears now, he couldn't stop thinking back to that night, couldn't stop thinking about the life that was taken from him. He'd spent too much time already dwelling on what could have been. It kept him up at night thinking about the what if's. 

What if we didn't take that shortcut. 

What if I hadn't chose that concert. 

What if I could've saved him. 

Sebastian let the tears fall as he whispered "Porter I love you. I really, really fucking love you". 

His eyes squeezed shut and he breathed in deeply "But I met someone. Someone I care about a lot, he reminds me of you sometimes". 

"His name is Adam and I think you'd like him. He has a lot of problems but -" he shut his eyes and stifled a laugh "- so do I since you've been gone. You know I can't replace you but - but I had to move on" he stared at the name on the pillar, his voice shook less now as he spoke. 

"I hope you are happy for me, happy that I'm doing better" he smiled "I know you would be, I'm just being stupid as usual, you know me. I have to learn how to be happy without you and I don't know how long it will take but I'm doing my best". 

He heard a rustling in the bush beside the pillar but it quickly stopped, Sebastian turned back to the pillar "So don't worry about me, I'm fine. I still have that gun and I can protect myself" he chuckled. 

Sebastian stood and put his hand on the plaque as he shut his eyes. 

"I'll never forget you, hell, I might never stop loving you, but I'm going to do my best to love Adam too. I hope that brings you peace, or something, just know I'll be okay". 

 

His eyes shot open quickly and he turned to the bush. He could've sworn he heard a noise. He stared at it, wiping the tears from his eyes.

The bush gave a gentle rustle as a black kitten emerged from underneath it. 

It gave a small "mew" and stared up at Sebastian. 

His heart beat quickly and he fell to his knees. "Hey little guy" he choked out the words in the softest voice he could manage. 

The kitten strode toward him cautiously.

Sebastian slowly reached his hand out and the kitten pushed its body against the hand as it let out loud purrs. It had no collar and there were no houses around for miles, it must be a stray.

He looked up at the plaque again and smiled as he whispered "Thank you". Porter could hear him, he was sure of it. He picked the kitten up gently, it purred into his hand as he held it close to his chest. 

The stray looked up into Sebastian's teary eyes and meowed softly. 

"You're name will be Porter" he whispered as he scratched it's black chin.

Sebastian leaned against the marble bench and stared back up at the pillar. For the first time in a long time, he thought of his first love and his heart was warm. He wanted it to stay like that, he didn't want the memories to bring him pain anymore.

Tears poured from his face as he smiled. 

"I love you Porter"


	25. Lust for Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam learns that when you can't solve your problems, turn to magic. 
> 
> Magic helps 95% of the time, every time.

Adam stared at the door and waited. He sat at the dining room table, his fingers drummed out a nervous beat on the table as Maru's words replayed in his head. 

"Take care of him, he isn't as strong as he lets on" 

His fingers stroked the single white rose laid out on the table. He knew that now, Sebastian told Adam about the life he lived in Zuzu. His chest felt hollow when the teary eyed man asked if Adam could take him to Zuzu but he agreed. Seeing Sebastian in pain killed him, it hurt even more knowing it wasn't something he could fix. 

That man could have given Sebastian a life he couldn't: a normal life, a happier life.

He pulled off his glasses and rubbed his weary eyes. 

The phone buzzed on the table, he quickly reached for it and read the message, then picked up the rose as he shut his eyes. 

Sebastian was sitting on a white marble bench, a small black kitten was asleep in his arms. Adam could see the streaks where tears had been running down his face.

He looked around and saw the heavy marble structures around him, his heart twisted in realization. He scanned the names on the pillar closest to him until he found the name.

Adam lowered the rose onto the ground at the foot of the pillar. He stared at the golden plaque, then slowly bowed until his head was level with his hips. He lifted, looked at the name again, then repeated the movement two more times.

After the third he shut his eyes and prayed silently 'Watch over him, he needs you'. 

He turned to Sebastian and held out a hand and spoke softly "Ready?"

Sebastian nodded and took the hand, still holding the black fur in his arm.

"I want you to meet Luna" he said as he pulled Adam's hand away from the pillars.

They walked together across the grassy field, Adam squeezed Sebastian's hand lightly "Are you going to keep it?".

Sebastian looked down at the kitten and nodded "Yea".

Adam smiled at the black cat: it was a cute, scraggly little thing. 

He saw the woman leaning against her car, she watched as they walked in her direction. She slowly lifted the sunglasses onto her head, her eyes were cautious as she looked Adam over. 

"Its okay Luna, this is Adam" Sebastian dropped Adam's hand and reached around the woman for a hug.

"Is that a cat?" she poked the black fur with a finger and it squirmed, sending its toe beans into the air. 

Sebastian nodded and wiggled his finger on the kitten's belly. "It was in a bush and I don't think it has a home, I'm going to keep it". 

Her eyes were sad as she smiled down at the cat. 

She turned her gaze to Adam and asked "Where did you come from?".

Adam cocked his head to the side "From my house". 

Her eyes stared back dumbly and she smacked her tongue "I didn't see you drive up".

"Oh - um" Sebastian's eyes rose from kitten and he looked nervously at Luna and Adam "He took the back way".

She squinted at him, then shrugged, holding out her hand "Luna, nice to meet you". 

"Adam, Sebastian told me about you" he said kindly as they shook. 

A cold wind blew through Adam, he shivered and rubbed his bare arms. It was almost winter and the temperature was dropping quickly, he looked up at the bright sky and wondered if it would snow this year. 

The woman pointed her thumb over her head at the car "You two want to join me for lunch?". 

"Actually" Sebastian looked up from the kitten "We should probably head home" he gently rocked the kitten in his arm. 

"Oh" her eyes dropped "I thought we could talk for a while". 

Sebastian looked up at Adam. He knew what Sebastian's eyes were suggesting, he wrapped his arm around the man and nodded in approval. 

He smiled back in excitement and reached his hand out to Luna "Come with us, we can eat at Adam's place". 

"How long is the drive?" she raised her eyebrows cautiously. 

"No time at all, if we take the back way" Adam chuckled. 

She took Sebastian's hand and Adam shut his eyes. 

 

The air was cold but the wind stopped rushing past Adam's ear. As he opened his eyes the living room was dark. Dim light came through the windows, a storm must've came over the town while he was away. 

Luna twisted her head and gazed in wonder at the change in scenery. 

"Sebastian what's going on?" her mouth hung open in awe. 

"It's magic Luna, we don't know much more than that" he smiled then walked over to the table. He lowered the kitten from his arms onto the table, it stretched it's legs and purred.

Adam walked into the kitchen and pulled the fridge handle, peering into the cold as the small light came on inside. There wasn't much they could make, all he had was sliced meats, mayo, and lettuce. 

"Sandwiches okay?" he called. 

Luna's mouth hung open but she nodded absently. Adam chuckled to himself, her reaction was amusing.

He pulled out the ingredients and began to prepare their lunch. 

"Close your mouth Luna" he heard Sebastian tease. 

"I can't - where'd you learn magic, can you teach me?" 

"Not me, Adam - and no he was born with it"

"Sebastian - ugh, you get all the good ones"

The two friends bickered between each other as Adam sliced the sandwiches. Their dynamic was interesting, Sebastian didn't even talk like this with Abby and Sam. 

He placed them neatly on a large plate and brought it to the table where the two were already seated. 

"Lunch is served" he bowed dramatically then sat down. 

They each grabbed a sandwich and began eating. 

"So Adam, tell me what you do" Luna beamed at him and took another bite of the sandwich. 

"I sell roses" he said quietly, he was sure it was nothing compared to what she did. She was dressed like a fancy lawyer, no way she'd be impressed by his rose empire. 

Sebastian smiled at him "He's underselling it. I'll show you the garden later, you'll love it". 

Luna nodded in excitement as she held her chest. She let out a squeal and sighed deeply "You have a rose garden, and you can do magic, this is the love story I want" she looked at Sebastian with envy. 

Adam smiled. He was glad she liked him. Sebastian talked to her like she was a closer friend than Sam and Abigail.

The three of them talked about how Sebastian and Luna met as they ate. Adam enjoyed learning about Sebastian, each time Luna told a story he felt like he was learning something new about the Sebastian. He could sense her holding back though, she would stumble as she caught herself on a story that involved Porter, then Sebastian would look down at the table. Luna was trying not to break the thin ice that was Porter and it made Adam uncomfortable. 

When the sandwiches were gone Adam stood and took the dishes to the sink, Sebastian and Luna stayed at the table and scratched the kitten, who had eaten scraps of their sandwiches and was licking its paws.

He turned on the water and scrubbed the dishes with a yellow sponge. 

"I like him, he seems really nice" he heard Luna whisper. 

He smiled into the sink, he liked her too. Maybe they could meet up every week for a meal, he was sure Sebastian would like that. 

Sebastian responded but he couldn't hear over the clatter of dishes. 

Adam turned the sink's knob slightly to reduce the flow of water as he washed the plates. 

"Why'd you take that cat?" Luna asked. 

"I think it was a sign from Porter, we were going to get this black cat for the new apartment before uh - anyway, I named him Porter"

Adam stopped scrubbing the plate and let the water run over it as he listened. 

He heard Luna's voice in a concerned whisper "Sebastian - you can't - you need to let go. You can't keep constantly reminding yourself".

"I've tried Luna, I try to push him out but it hurts" he quieted his voice but Adam could still make out the words "I will always love him". 

 

They whispered to each other from across the room but Adam couldn't hear their voices anymore. All he heard was his heart beating, the slow, heavy pumping as his chest ached. 

He wasn't ever going to be enough for Sebastian. He didn't blame Sebastian either, he would never hurt him on purpose. He was right, he didn't know what it was like to lose someone he loved. Sebastian loved Porter and there was nothing Adam could do to change that, nothing he could do to make Sebastian love him more. 

No, he realized there was something he could do. 

Just one thing he could do to help. One thing to give Sebastian the life he deserved. One thing that was going to tear him apart.

He shut his eyes.

 

-

 

His body was so cold, every inch of his skin was pouring sweat. His mouth was dry, he tried to swallow but there was no saliva left in his mouth.

Adam took a deep breath and opened his eyes. 

The Watcher stood by the black cauldron, his nose buried deep in a large brown book as he mixed the liquid with a large wooden stick. 

"I need you to do something for me" his voice was monotonous. 

The man turned slowly to look at him, he raised his eyebrow but before he could speak Adam added "I will do anything for you in return". 

The Watcher's expression remained flat. 

"I need nothing from you, there is nothing you can do -" he stopped. Adam saw his lip twitch and the man resumed in a slightly higher pitch "What is it you need, boy?". 

Adam walked briskly toward the man. The Watcher didn't flinch or move, he gave Adam a cold stare as he approached him.

His hand touched the man's black robed arm and he shut his eyes. 

 

The sky was dark, a gust of wind blew through Adam and he shivered before lifting his arm. His finger extended, pointing to the golden plaque on the pillar. 

"I need you to bring him back to life" he shouted through the gust of wind. 

The Watcher asked no questions, he swiped his finger lazily and the white marble square that held the nameplate fell to the ground. The stone shattered, a thick shard crushed the fragile white rose that lay on the floor. 

His hand reached in and grasped the silver urn inside. He pulled it from it's tomb, then tossed it to the floor beside him, sending the gray ash billowing over the concrete.

The Watcher snapped. 

The dust turned into a deep gray liquid, Adam watched it bubble and expand. It seemed to pull matter in from around it, tiny particles floated out of the air and joined with the puddle. 

The gray slowly changed colors, parts of it turned red, bands of the bubbling liquid spread out from the puddle and bloomed into pink thread. The mass pulsed as it grew larger, he could see bits of fleshy organs forming inside as they twisted around inside the puddle, then long strands of white spread out across the surface and weaved together into bones that were then wrapped together by the pink threads. 

Adam looked at the Watcher, who was gazing off into the distance, unimpressed even by his own magic. He looked back at the man forming from thin air, it was beautiful, and it broke him. He didn't know if what he was doing was right. He couldn't stand to think about it but he believed in his heart that this was the best way to help Sebastian, even if he would lose him in the process.

Porter could take better care of him, he could fix him. 

He watched pile of goo assemble into humanoid shape, then a thin layer of tan paper skin formed around the outside and slowly grew thicker. He watched the man take shape, he watched black hairs spring from the completed skin and give the man features.

The body stopped growing, but didn't move. Adam looked up at the Watcher. 

"Hm, strange" The Watcher looked confused as he stared at the finished body that lay naked on the concrete. 

"What? What did you do?" he was taken aback by the face. The Watcher looked genuinely lost for words, his brows were furrowed and his eyes were wide. 

 

"He isn't dead" he said as he stroked his purple beard. 

"What do you mean he isn't dead, you just brought him back" Adam said in disgust, pointed to the body on the floor.

The man waved his hand at Adam dismissively "That's just a body, there is no soul, no essence" he made a hand motion as if he was describing the shape of a soul. 

Adam shut his eyes angrily "Where is his soul then?". He scratched his head and cursed to himself, this was supposed to be an easy job for the Watcher, maybe he wasn't paying attention and messed up the spell. Or maybe Porter was really gone forever. He felt guilty at the tingle he felt: maybe he wouldn't lose Sebastian after all. 

 

Then he heard a terrified voice "Adam what did you do". He opened his eyes to see Sebastian and Luna staring in horror from the table. The Watcher was standing beside him, Porter's lifeless, nude body was on the floor beside them. 

"I - I" he looked to the Watcher to explain what had gone wrong, but the man stayed silent and walked toward Sebastian, he scrunched his nose as if following a scent. 

"I was trying to help - but he said there was no soul" his voice cracked as he saw Sebastian's eyes building up tears, then the man turned his shocked face to the body on the floor. 

"Porter" Sebastian whispered the name delicately and let the tears fall from his face. 

The Watcher stopped as he stood beside the table.

"HA" the man boomed with laughter that shook Adam's bones. The sound frightened Luna and Sebastian, they turned from Porter's body and looked at the robed man.

Sebastian and Luna backed away from the table as the man continued his deep laughter. 

Luna looked at Sebastian "Who is that? What's going on?" she was trembling in fear.

The man's laughter quieted and he looked at Sebastian. 

"There are so few of them left and YOU" he pointed to the terrified man and chuckled deeply. 

"You found two" the man placed a hand on his head as he stared at Sebastian in disbelief.

Sebastian backed into the couch and stopped, his eyes were wide and full of tears he gasped through his cries "Two what?".

Adam watched the man pick the small black cat up by the nape, ignoring Sebastian's question. He lifted it to his eyes and shook his head in disapproval. 

"They have become so weak over the ages" he sighed as he stared at the kitten. 

"I remember when your kind could burn entire worlds, and now this?" he wiggled the black fur in his hands "such weak magic, little one". The kitten let out a soft "meow" into the man's face. 

He turned on his heels and walked back toward Adam, holding out the kitten.

Adam didn't know what was happening, he watched silently. Sebastian and Luna did the same.

The Watcher stood now, holding the kitten directly over Porter's cold body. 

Then he dropped it. 

 

As the black fur fell it dissolved into a pool of blue light that slowly sank into the man's chest.

Dark specks appeared on the tan skin. The number of specks grew, they joined into a series of intricate black lines that weaved around the man's arms and chest.

The Watcher brushed his hands together and looked satisfied, then turned to Adam. 

"In time, I will require the payment I was promised" the man's grin gave Adam goosebumps but he nodded in submission. 

Then he vanished. 

"Adam, what did you do?" Sebastian's chest was moving rapidly as he took deep breaths, his eyes darted between Porter's body and Adam. 

Adam shook his head, his body felt all the pain it had been ignoring and he fell to his knees. He watched Porter's chest slowly rise and fall and he knew he did it.

He smiled weakly back at Sebastian "I'm giving you your life back".

Then he fell to the floor. 

 

-

 

"I don't understand, what is happening, who was that man?" the voice sounded familiar. 

"I'm sorry Luna, I don't know. I don't know what Adam did" that was Sebastian's voice, he said Luna was here but who is Adam?

He felt so weak, not painful weak, but like his body had been asleep for a long time. 

He opened his mouth and a small voice came out "Sebastian".

Nobody responded. 

"Luna" he tried again. 

Still nothing. 

He pushed his eyelids up and colors entered his vision. The colors slowly formed into shapes, then the shapes became clearer. He saw Sebastian and Luna standing over him, they moved backwards away from him. 

"No" he saw Sebastian's mouth move, he looked sad. 

"Sebastian, come here, its okay babe" he pushed his arm out and felt it lift slowly from the ground.

His boyfriend looked down at him with a horrified expression. What was happening? Why was Sebastian scared of him?

"Am I in the hospital?" his raspy voice called out. 

He remembered the accident, he saw the headlights coming for them head on as he veered the car right. Sebastian looked okay, he had saved him thankfully.

"I'm okay Sebastian, I made it, sorry I scared you" he chuckled.

Maybe he wasn't okay, he could be high on painkillers and not feel that he was only a torso now. He strained his weak muscles and pushed his chest up to look at his body. 

He was completely naked, but otherwise fine. It didn't look like he'd sustained any injuries at all in fact. 

"Look, I'm unbreakable Seb" he smiled up at Sebastian.

Porter remembered Luna, and someone named Adam, his hands quickly moved to cover his crotch. 

"Sebastian, can you get me some pants?"

Sebastian didn't move. Porter looked closely at his boyfriend, his face was scrunched in pain and he just stared down at him, letting his tears fall to the floor.

Porter pushed himself up, his balance was off but he stood slowly. He realized he had been laying on the floor. He didn't know what was happening right now but he wanted to go to Sebastian. 

He took a step forward and held his arms open. Sebastian didn't move, his expression remained the same. He took another step, then another until he made it to the man. He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and squeezed him as hard as he could. He could feel the slender body shaking violently against him. 

"Shh, you're safe now, I'm here"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really need to stop listening to Lana Del Rey.
> 
> Leave a comment, tell me what you think of Porter.


	26. Past and Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam vs. Porter
> 
> Who will get off the floor first? 
> 
> Place your bets now!

"You think they're having sex?" Danny looked at Abigail with a disgusted look. 

The two women sat on Sam's bed, Abigail was propped up on a stack of pillows as she read from an occult book she'd ordered online.

Abigail looked up from the book briefly and grinned as she whispered "I sure hope so", then chuckled as Danny's face recoiled.

Danny picked up her new phone, still no messages, she sighed. 

"If he doesn't respond soon I'm going over there". 

It wasn't like Adam to leave her texts on read. She was fine spending the day with Abigail and Sam, the couple needed their alone time. But she had a bad feeling, it was a tiny spark in the back of her head that told her Adam was in trouble. She shook her head and ignored the feeling. He was an adult now, he could take care of himself and if he was in trouble he could use his magic to teleport to them. 

Maybe she was just antsy from being around Sam for so long. 

Danny looked at the desk where Sam was furiously smashing keys on his computer. She smiled as the man's brow furrowed in frustration. 

"Are you losing?" she called across the room. 

Sam's head fell back and he pulled himself away from the monitor "Just lost". 

He stood up and stretched his arms over his head as he let out a grunt. 

The white tee he was wearing rose over his stomach and Danny couldn't help but glance at the light tan stomach for a moment before he sat back down at his chair.

Danny leaned back by Abigail and watched her read. She could see Sam looking at her from the corner of her eye. He only looked at her when he thought she couldn't see him. Danny smiled, it was kind of cute.

Abigail's book fell from her face and Sam quickly turned away. Danny chuckled softly as the woman rolled her eyes and scooted out of the bed. 

She mumbled "I have to go - walk" as she stumbled out of the room with the book lifted to her face. 

Sam stared at the monitor, Danny could see from the bed that it was still on the desktop screen. He took several deep breaths. 

Danny waited for him to say something but he continued to stare at the monitor. 

She shook her head slowly. He did this every time they were alone, he'd take deep breaths like he had something to say, then they would sit in silence until Abigail came back. 

"Oh Sam, what am I going to do with you" she sighed calmly. She didn't think he'd ever work up the courage to say what he needed on his own.

His eyes were wide as he turned to look at her, his cheeks slightly pink.

"What - I didn't do anything" he stuttered.

Danny patted the bed beside her and said "Come sit".

He nervously rose from his chair and walked across the room to sit on the bed. 

Danny sat up in the bed and turned away from him. 

"Now you can say what you want to say" she sighed. It would be easier for him to talk if she wasn't looking at him. 

She could hear him breathing deeply behind her. 

"No, I'm sorry turn around" he said sadly. 

Danny turned back to face him. 

He nodded, then held his chest and breathed deeply again. 

"I like you Danny" he whispered, barely managing to make eye contact.

She smiled and whispered back "I like you too Sam". 

The man's face fell as he let out a beaten smile.

Danny lightly patted his cheek and whispered "It's okay Sam, deep breaths". 

He chuckled and held the hand to his face "I know, I'm sorry. You make me really nervous". 

"Why?" she lifted the man's face and looked into his eyes. 

"You're just" he smiled as he took a deep breath "cool". 

Danny leaned in to the man's face and gave him a gentle kiss, then whispered "You're cool too". 

Sam pulled Danny toward him and they kissed again, she could feel the warmth from his face radiating onto her cheeks. 

"Oh for fuck's sake, FINALLY"

They parted and stared at Abigail standing in the doorway. They both burst into laughter.

"Sorry Abby" Sam said sheepishly. 

"Took you long enough, I was starting to get a headache from all the sexual tension" she rolled her eyes. 

Abigail closed her book and waved a hand as she turned around "I'm going to head out". 

They both waved awkwardly and said goodbye. Then they turned back to each other and chuckled. 

 

-

 

Abigail's hand rested on the handle of the door to her house. She turned her head to the left and looked down the long path leading the Adam's land. The sky was dark, the cold wind blew her hair around her face. 

She felt a slight pinch at the back of her neck. Her hand left the handle and she turned to walk toward the farm. 

The pinch got harder and she started to run. Something was wrong. Her hair flew behind her as she sprinted across the dirt path. 

The lights were on inside Adam's house, Abigail stomped quickly up the porch steps. Her eyes were hot as she twisted the knob of the door and pushed it open. 

 

Sebastian was in the arms of a naked man she didn't recognize, he looked terrified. A dark skinned woman she didn't know was up against the wall behind them, also terrified. Adam was passed out on the kitchen floor to the left. She glanced quickly between all of them, fury rose in her blood as she lifted the heavy bound book in her hand. 

"GET OFF OF HIM" she shouted as she brought to book down on the man's head.

The man let out a cry of pain and released Sebastian, backing away toward the table. 

"Who the hell are you?" Her eyes were red hot as she stared at the naked man, she pointed the book at him threateningly. 

"Porter - I'm Sebastian's boyfriend" he ducked, expecting her to throw the book at him. 

"Sebastian, who is he - who is she" she pointed the book at the woman on the wall. "Why is Adam on the floor?" she put her hand on Sebastian's shoulder, holding the book out at the naked man again. 

He was shaking, his eyes still glued to the man that held him moments ago. 

She shook him gently but he didn't respond.

"I'm Luna, Sebastian's friend from Joja" the woman spoke as she slowly crept from the wall toward her. 

She pointed to the naked man "That is Porter, Sebastian's - it's Sebastian's ex" she lifted her hands up as Abigail pointed the book at her. 

"Sebastian's has only told me about one ex and he's dead" she shot her eyes at the man "So who the fuck is this". 

The woman's eyes squeezed shut and Abigail watched tears fall from them, her voice was shaken "That's what I'm saying, Porter is Sebastian's only ex". 

Luna shook her head "I don't know what's happening, Adam has magic, then there was a guy with purple hair, and he took the cat, and now Porter is alive again". 

"What do you mean alive again?" the naked man spoke, Abigail brandished the book at him. "Luna, why did you say ex?" his face was twisted in fear. 

Abigail felt Sebastian's body shake harder as he spoke in a raspy voice "You died Porter, on the way to the concert. You died three years ago". 

"Nobody move. I need to call Sam and Danny, there's too much happening here" Abigail pulled the phone from her pocket and dialed Sam's number. As soon as the dial tone stopped she spoke "You both need to come to Adam's, right now, hurry" then hung up the phone.

"Sebastian, go get him something to wear I'm sick of seeing that thing dangle" her voice was cold as she turned the man toward the bedroom and pushed him gently. He walked slowly, dragging his feet as he stared at the floor. 

"You- Luna, come here" she kept her eyes on Porter, he looked like he was in a daze and he seemed to be the biggest threat at the moment. 

The woman walked toward her slowly, keeping a distance from Porter who was shaking as he stared at the doorway Sebastian had entered. 

"Go check on Adam please" she said as the woman came closer. 

She took a step toward the naked man "Porter can you sit down for me? You're scaring me a little". 

The man nodded and slowly dropped to the floor, covering his genitals as he sat with his legs out. Abigail placed the book onto the dining room table as she stood beside him. 

She could hear her friends running up the steps, then watched them fly through the front door. 

"What the hell happened here?" Sam's eyes were wide, Danny immediately ran to Adam as she saw him on the ground. 

"Adam passed out again, this naked guy is Sebastian's dead ex boyfriend Porter, that is Luna: Sebastian's work friend" she rubbed her temples, she couldn't even begin to understand how this happened. 

She looked up at Sam "Go check on Sebastian, I sent him to get clothes for Porter". The man nodded and ran into the bedroom. 

Abigail's hair fell back as she looked up at the ceiling and groaned "Magic fucking sucks". 

 

-

 

Sebastian was on the floor in front of Adam's closet. Sam placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and he felt him shudder. 

"Sebastian, It's me Sam" he patted the shoulder but he didn't respond. Sam pulled the man up by his armpits and walked him over to the bed. 

"At least lay down, just stay here for a bit" he tried to sound calm but his blood was pumping with adrenaline from the run over. Sebastian fell down onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He tousled the man's hair then turned to the closet, pulling out a pair of underwear, loose sweatpants and a tee shirt. 

He ran back out the door with the clothes in his arms. Porter looked up at him and frowned, realizing he wasn't Sebastian. 

"Here man, put these on" he handed him the underwear and turned away as the man pulled them around his legs, then handed him the rest of the clothes. 

Porter pulled the shirt over his head then looked up at Sam "I want to talk to Sebastian" his eyes watered as he spoke softly. 

Sam frowned at the man and shook his head "He's messed up, give him some time". He knew better that to pry when Sebastian got like this.

He sat beside the clothed man and held out his hand "I'm Sam, I've known Sebastian for a long time" he smiled weakly. 

Porter shook his hand "Porter, Sebastian told me about you". He let the hand go "So Sebastian didn't tell anyone about me?". 

He bit his lip and patted Porter's knee "Sebastian keeps secrets, you probably know that better than anyone". 

The man chuckled softly and nodded. "They said Adam did something, is that Adam?" he pointed to Adam. 

Sam nodded "Yeah, Adam is-" he stopped himself, he didn't know this man at all, he wasn't sure what he'd do to Adam.

The woman in the white pantsuit spoke up "Adam is Sebastian's boyfriend Porter. I think he made a deal with that man to bring you back to life".

She shook her head in frustration "He said he wanted to give Sebastian his life back". 

"That's just fucking great" Abigail slapped her head "Adam, once again with the brilliant ideas" she looked upset. 

Danny shouted back at her "Don't blame him. He did what he thought was best". 

"What's best?" Abigail scoffed "Adam does the first thing that pops into his stupid head, that's how we ended up with all the problems we have now".

Sam looked at Porter, he flashed Sam a concerned look. Sam shrugged back at him and stayed quiet. 

Danny rose to her feet and walked toward the table, her face was red and frustrated "Problems? You mean like me?". 

He looked up at Abigail, she looked embarrassed, she shook her head and lowered her voice. 

"No, that's not what I mean, not you Danny. I'm sorry" Abigail wiped her face and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"He just does whatever he feels like, there could have been another way to get you" her voice was shaking "He could have asked us what he should do about this" she waved her hand around the room. 

"Adam doesn't think sometimes, that's all I'm saying" 

Danny pulled out a chair and sat at the table, she put her head in her hands "I know, I'm sorry". She sobbed quietly.

Sam pushed off the floor and leaned on the table beside Danny, rubbing her back as she let out soft whimpers. He leaned down to kiss her hair and whispered "It's okay, we'll figure this whole thing out once Adam wakes up".

Abigail stood from the table and walked over to Adam, she placed a finger under his nose "He's still breathing, he should wake up soon".

The room was still aside from Danny's quiet sniffling. Sam couldn't help but silently agree with Abigail. Danny took up for her brother but he knew deep down she thought the same. Adam was still a child, whether from the heavy drug use, or from the problems he had with his father, something made Adam - Adam. He rushed into action with good intentions. Saving Danny he could understand, Adam was emotional and the fortune teller said she was in danger. 

This though? He looked at Porter who was looking around the room. What was Adam thinking? Sam shook his head. He didn't know the whole story, he couldn't fault Adam. Sebastian was complicated, and he kept all his problems bottled up tight. He and Abigail hadn't pried when Sebastian wouldn't talk about the three years he spent in the city. He felt shafted, Sebastian had a whole life outside of them that they knew nothing about. If Porter hadn't died they might not have ever seen him again. 

"Oh" Luna broke the silence as she looked across Adam's body to Abigail. 

"The black robe man said something else, he said Sebastian found two of them, but their magic was weak?" Luna's eyes were skeptical as she relayed the information. 

"Oh great" Abigail looked over to Porter "What does he do then?" she didn't look amused.

The man turned to look at them, Danny had even lifted her head from the table to observe him. Sam could tell he wasn't aware of any magic, his eyes darted in confusion between them. 

Sam cleared his throat "Magic is real, Adam can teleport" he turned to Luna "The black robe man is called the Watcher, he can pretty much do anything he wants" he flinched as he remembered the images he'd seen of his dead friends. 

Porter shrugged "Don't know anything about that" the man stared at Adam. 

"The Watcher" Luna shot a curious look at Sam, he nodded, she looked back to Porter and continued "he was talking like you were the kitten". 

All of them looked at her, she must have felt their confusion, she continued "Sebastian found it at the cemetery and brought it home".

Abigail grilled the woman for information. Sam could tell by the glint in her eye she was excitedly piecing together the information. 

The purple hair bounced as she nodded excitedly in thought. "Your power lets your soul stay here after you die" she concluded to the room, she was impressed with herself. 

"Is that good?" Porter didn't seem impressed. Sam turned away from the man, he didn't want to be the one to answer that question. Adam could bring the whole room across the world if he wanted to and this man could turn into a cat when he died. He stifled a laugh into his palm. 

Abigail saw it and smiled at his reaction.

"Not really, but maybe it has other uses" she shrugged. 

Sam fought back another laugh, maybe next time he could come back as a dog. 

 

-

 

Porter lifted himself from the floor. He was sick of this, he didn't understand anything: the Watcher, Magic, him being dead. He wanted to talk to Sebastian. 

He turned to walk to the bedroom. 

"Stop, Porter wait" he heard from behind him. He bolted to the door, then quickly shut it behind him, turning the small lock on the doorknob. 

"Leave him alone Porter, he needs time" he heard Sam's muffled voice through the door as he jiggled the door handle. 

He ignored the man and turned to the bed. Sebastian was laying down, his eyes lost in the ceiling above him. He slowly walked over to the bed, he heard grunts coming from the other side of the door, then footsteps as they walked away. 

"Hey Sebastian, can you talk to me?" he looked down at the man's pale face. 

Sebastian's eyes were glazed over, he shot Porter a quick glance then returned to the ceiling. 

"Come on Seb, just talk to me" he whispered, brushing the black hair from the man's face. 

Sebastian flinched as the fingers grazed his skin. Porter's heart sank at the reaction. His boyfriend was gone, this wasn't the same Sebastian he knew. He really did die and Sebastian didn't want anything to do with him. He shut his eyes and tried to calm himself. 

"Do you still love me?" he whispered, hanging his head over the bed. 

The man's face tightened in pain, Porter watched as tears poured from his eyes and wrapped around his cheek bones as the fell to the bed. Porter's hand wiped the dark bags under the man's eyes, he gently held the man's face toward him. 

He lowered his own face closer to Sebastian and whispered "I still love you". He pressed his lips onto Sebastian's, they were cold and still.

Sebastian recoiled from the kiss, he scrambled across the bed and quickly ran to the door. 

Porter stood still as he watched the man unlock the door, swing it open, and run out without looking back. The sound of the front door open and shut loudly sent shivers down his spine. He might as well be dead. 

He sat on the bed, his hand fell to the warm blanket indented with Sebastian's form. He heard the others talking outside the door. 

Sam backed into the room carrying the unconscious man by the armpits, Abigail was holding the man's feet. The stumbled into the bed room and dropped the man onto the bed beside Porter. 

The blonde shook his head at Porter "I told you to leave him alone" he said in a cold voice. 

Porter didn't respond, he stared at Adam's sleeping face. 

Abigail barked at him "Kill him if you want, if he owes the Watcher a debt he won't stay dead for long". Both of them walked out of the room and shut the door. He could hear muffled conversation from outside but couldn't make out any words. 

He didn't want to hurt Adam, he didn't even know the man. Porter stared at the man's chest as it slowly rose and fell, his eyes scanned the body. He could see why Sebastian like him, he was handsome.

Why did he think bringing Porter back to life would help Sebastian, the man couldn't even speak to him. 

Porter wanted some answers. 

He walked on his knees over to the body and slapped Adam's cheek gently. He let out a small grunt and his mouth fell open, a bead of drool crept from the corner of his mouth. His fingers pinched the man's nose shut and he counted in his head.

Adam's eyes shot open and gasped, Porter quickly released the nose, then covered his mouth with his hand. 

He made a shushing face with his finger over his lips as the terrified man looked up at him. 

"Hello Adam, I'm Porter" he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I want to know is how long Luna's car can sit at the cemetery before it gets towed.


	27. Reap what you Sow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ton of things happen without Adam knowing. But that isn't unusual for Adam. 
> 
> **NSFW**

Porter's face was threatening, though he got the impression that he wasn't intending to be. He had strong masculine features that just came off intimidating: the stubble covered jaw, the black arched eyebrows, the thin dark eyes.

Adam gulped as the man’s palm lifted from his mouth.

"Hi" he whispered cautiously. He felt his dry voice crack and he silently cleared his throat. 

Porter pulled back from his face and sat kneeling on the bed beside him. Adam lifted himself up and propped his back up against the headboard. He wasn't sure how he got in the bed to begin with, he remembered being in the kitchen. His mind ran through what he'd just done. He shut his eyes in pain remembering Sebastian's face, his voice when he'd seen what Adam did. 

"I messed up" he said the words out loud though he didn't mean to. 

Porter's lips pulled back slightly, he wanted to smile but couldn't. His deep voice spoke "You sure did". 

Adam turned his attention to the door where he could hear arguing from outside. He felt the bed let out a strained squeal as Porter sat down, propping his back beside Adam.

The man's chest pushed out, Adam realized he was wearing his clothes, then he let out a long breath from his nose. 

"I appreciate you bringing me back to life"

Adam nodded.

"But why did you do it?"

He sighed, his body was calmer now and he was thinking straight. The series of thoughts that led to his decision didn't make sense anymore but he tried to string them together as an explanation. 

"Sebastian was hurting. I didn't think I could make him happy like you did. So I made a deal with the Watcher to bring you back" saying the words out loud he felt ridiculous. He owed the Watcher - who knows what - and he had nothing to show for it. 

"I just wanted to help" he flung his head back and cursed when it hit the hardwood behind him.

The man beside him was taking quick breaths from his nose, Adam turned as he rubbed the back of his head. The man was smiling, his eyes squinted as he chuckled softly. 

"You're a good guy Adam but your friends are right, you are kind of dumb" he spoke with a joyful inflection and Adam nodded solemnly. 

"I don't know what to do now. How do I fix this?" He looked desperately at the man, Porter shook his head. 

"First, stop trying to fix everything. Let's just leave Sebastian alone until he's ready to talk" 

The bed creaked again as the man rolled out and rose to his feet. 

"Second, I've been dead for a while so you can catch me up on what I've missed"

He walked around the bed and offered Adam a hand. Adam accepted and pulled the man's tattoo covered arm, lifting himself from the bed.

"You got coffee? Haven't had coffee in three years" he smiled. 

Adam nodded. The man was surprisingly calm for what he'd just went through. He was envious of the man's confidence. Porter headed to the door and Adam followed behind him. 

He reached for the door but stopped, his eyes were wide as he turned to Adam, his grin wide. "They told me you can teleport" Porter let out a series of 'he he's as he rubbed his hands together. 

"Show me"

Adam grabbed the man's wrist and blinked. The kitchen he could do easily, he did that every time he was too lazy to get out of bed. He smiled at the man who was bewildered at the change in surroundings. 

"Cool" he said in an airy voice.

Adam dropped the wrist and pulled open a cabinet with the coffee grounds, then walked to the sink to fill the pot with water. Soft footsteps approached him from behind as he watched the water pour into the glass pot. A hand slapped down on his shoulder. It was Danny. 

"Adam, we need to talk" her voice was stern. He nodded in response, then shut off the faucet and walked back to the coffee maker. 

Her voice came from behind him "You need to talk to us - anyone - before you do things like that" she was upset. 

He pressed the button and a red light on the black plastic lit up. He turned in her direction and leaned his palms against the counter top. 

"I messed up, I know. I'm dumb and I should've talked to you guys. I don't have any excuse. I won't try to fix things anymore" he recited the words to the floor.

Luna spoke up "That's great and all, but can you take me home? I have work tomorrow". Adam turned to look at the woman, he forgot all about Luna in the chaos, he wondered if her car had been towed from the cemetery driveway. 

He quickly nodded, holding his hand out toward her.

Luna turned around the room, flashing an awkward smile to everyone. Her face was covered in streaks of black from crying off her makeup "Well, It's been fun I guess, Porter good to see you again. Um - I might come visit, or maybe not". She walked toward Adam and took his hand. 

They were back in the cemetery, Luna's car was still there. She let go of his hand and headed to her car. 

"Adam, stay safe okay?" she looked worried. Adam gave a thumbs up to the woman and she opened the car door. 

He was back beside the coffee maker. It sputtered, then made small clinks as droplets of hot water hit the bottom of the glass pot. 

Adam could feel the eyes staring at the back of his head as he poured the glass pot out into two cups. He handed one mug to Porter, who gladly accepted, then held the other to his face and blew. 

The bitter black coffee was a shock to his tongue but he shut his eyes and swallowed. 

"I won't do anything else without asking" he said to the eyes that watched him. His eyes never left the swirling brown coffee. 

"I promise"

-

The body lifted from the off-white carpet and walked to the side of the room, staring at the large mirror that stretched the entire length of a wide wooden dresser. He could see the whole body in the reflection. The light brown eyes stared back at him. He bared his teeth as he leaned closer to the glass. The teeth were white and straight enough for his liking. He tapped each of the teeth with the tip of his tongue.

_No cavities, good_

The face was still in good shape too, a soft red mark formed on the right side of the forehead from where it had hit the carpet. He stroked the chin where short hairs stood out from the surface of the skin. The jaw is what drew him, slender and chiseled. He pulled at a strand of the short dirty blonde hair on the man’s head, it was sticky from product. He wiped the hand off on the gray pants. The buttons on the dress shirt were hard to undo. He cursed, holding each side of the fabric as he pulled the shirt open. The buttons gave as he stretched and the shirt fell from the man’s chest. 

_Nice_

His eyes traced the outlines of toned muscle on the chest, then he moved his hands across the skin and shivered as he felt his own touch. He moved the hands downward over the path of light brown hair on the man’s pelvis. He undid the clasp that held the pants together, then pulled the zipper down. He smiled as he looked at the white bulge protruding from the opening of the pants. The underwear slid down, revealing the soft appendage surrounded in dense brown hair. 

He spat into his hand and gazed into the mirror, wrapping the wet hand around his penis, pulling the soft skin outward before stroking along its length. His eyes rolled back as the penis became erect, he could feel the body’s pleasure as his own. The muscles in his neck spasmed and tensed as he continued. 

He stared through his narrow eyes as the mouth twitched, the nose wrinkled. He felt the pressure in the body release as the thick white semen sprayed out onto the mirror, then dribble across the wood of the dresser beneath him.

_Time to go_

Another body lay in the door frame slumped over and lifeless. He knelt down beside it and reached into the pocket, pulling out a white lighter and a black pack of cigarettes. Then he walked into to the closet. The man walked out wearing a slim fitting pair of black jeans and a yellow shirt with pink flowers. He covered the shirt in a thick gray overcoat, then flipped open the wallet he’d found in his pants. 

_Ethan Holman, nice to meet you._

The wallet fit snug in his back pocket and he placed cigarettes in his front left pocket, then walked out of the room, carefully stepping over the man in the doorway. His fingers brushed along the white walls, his sneakers beating against the laminate flooring. Photos hung from the wall, a woman, a man, a child. His eyes scanned the happy family photo. He felt a pinch in his chest and he squeezed the fabric covering his heart. 

_I’m doing them a favor, he’s the one who picked me up, who drove me here. Reap what you sow._

He tore the photo from the wall and threw it to the floor, he pulled the lighter from his pocket and began clicking it impatiently as he walked through a doorway. A tan love seat, leather recliners, a large television on top of a decorative entertainment center; The man must have been loaded. He clicked the lighter and held it then leaned the flame down into a small scented candle. 

_Fresh linens?_

Despite the name it smelled good, he bathed in the aroma for a moment, then continued his search. The kitchen was nice too, fancy metal appliances, marble counter tops. He grunted in disgust. Too bad he couldn’t live here. The stove top hissed as he turned each of burner knobs up. He smiled and walked back to the front door. 

Another photo hung on the wall beside the door, he looked at the man in the photo, his short blonde hair, his light brown eyes. His eyes turned to the smiling young girl the man held in his arms. 

_Sorry kid._

The door opened and shut as he walked out into the cold night and lit a cigarette in his mouth. Ethan Holman blew out a cloud of smoke into the chilly wind and made his way through the suburban neighborhood. 

He was far from the house by the time he felt the rumble, he heard the blast shortly after as the house exploded in flames.

The cigarette was at an end, he flicked it into the gutter and placed his cold hands into the overcoat pockets. He frowned. 

_What a waste of a beautiful home_

-

Porter couldn’t sleep. He still had so many questions. Sam, Abigail, Danny, and Adam did their best to fill him in on what happened but the life he’d known was gone. The Sebastian he knew was gone. A strange feeling came over him: the old Porter was gone too. Maybe it was because had been rebuilt by magic out of nothing but ash, but he felt brand new. 

The couch was uncomfortable, his head and feet were propped up by the raised arms and he was already starting to feel his limbs tingle as they lost blood pressure. He was sick of staring at the ceiling, he wanted actual sleep. 

The floor creaked softly as he rose, gently stepping in the dark room. He opened the bedroom door and peered into the black. The only noise he heard was the soft snoring from the man laying in bed. He moved inside, then slowly shut the door. 

_Shit_

He couldn’t see anything, he moved his feet slowly with his hands outstretched before him as tried to find the left side of the bed where he’d sat earlier. His hand found the edge of the bed and he followed the blanket to its end. He pulled the fabric back and tried to quietly slide in. 

He cringed as the springs groaned under his weight. Adam didn’t seem to notice and continued snoring. The pillow was soft as he lay his head down facing the edge of the bed. Porter shut his eyes. 

The sleep he was falling into was interrupted, he felt the weight in the bed shift and Adam’s arm wrap around his bare chest. Porter cursed in his head, he tried to push the man’s arm away but it held him tight. The man pushed his erection into Porter’s back and moaned in his sleep.

_I should wake him shouldn’t I?_

Before he could answer his own question the man’s hand slid down his stomach and into the band of the sweatpants he was wearing. His body tensed as he felt the hand wrap around his partially erect penis.

He pushed his shoulder into the man and whispered in a harsh tone “Adam, wake up”. 

The hand continued stroking him. 

“Adam - ” he let out a grunt as the hand moved to the head of his penis, squeezing gently as it fondled the sensitive skin. He considered for a moment not waking the man up at all but the man had been kind enough to bring him back to life, he didn’t want to take advantage of him. 

“Adam” he spoke louder and pulled the man’s hand from his pants. The man stirred behind him. 

“Hmm?” the man grunted sleepily. 

“Get your dick off my ass” 

The man yawned out an “Okay” and pulled away, then turned back onto his other side. 

Porter heard the snoring resume and sighed. He shut his eyes and tried to ignore the throbbing in his pants; but it wouldn’t go down. He cursed and rose from the bed, stumbling around again in the darkness as he searched for the bathroom door.


	28. Magic To Do

Adam would have to buy a heater soon, Gunther’s room was freezing. The slime didn’t seem to mind the chilly water yet, he gurgled and played with Adam as usual. He had to take good care of his baby. Besides, Gunther was the only one of his now three tenants that made any contribution to the household.

_What if Porter wanted to stay here forever?  
_

He couldn’t force the man out, he brought him into this world and he would see it through. Still, the rose garden could support them all. The fall had drained his savings, not a single transaction was made during those months and his garden was filled with rows and rows of blooming bushes. Adam also had to worry about the deal he made with the Watcher. At some point he’d show up to collect. 

Gunther nudged playfully at his knee, Adam was caught up in thought and couldn’t react quick enough against the force. His pants and underwear soaked through with the green water as he sat in the shallow pool. Gunther rubbed against his leg again apologetically and made a sad hum. 

“S’okay Gunther, It’s not your fault” he cood, reaching out his hand to pet the green blob. Gunther vibrated happily, then went back to rolling in the water as Adam stood. 

Adam ran a hand along the fabric of his jeans, slicking off excess water back into Gunther’s pool. He stopped when he realized he was also seeping the dirt from his pants into the pool, he stepped out and carefully walked out of the room, he was freezing now in his soaked clothes. A stream of muddy green water followed behind him as he walked into the living room. 

“Good morning” Porter sat at the dining room table with a mug in his hands. His eyes shifted to Adam briefly and they made eye contact, Porter quickly looked away though. Adam thought for a moment he saw a tinge of remorse in the man’s eye. Maybe he felt guilty that Adam was working while he slept, maybe he just imagined it. 

“Morning”

Adam quickly waddled into the bedroom, his eyes wide as the air that rushed around his body wicked even more of his body heat away. He grabbed a quick change of clothes from the closet and ran to the bathroom, stripping the soaked clothes before starting the shower. 

The bathroom was clean, all the clothes that he’d piled onto the floor beside the full hamper were gone, his vanity by the sink no longer had toothpaste stains. Porter did feel guilty about staying here. Adam smiled to himself as he rubbed his finger on the polished porcelain sink. It would be nice not to have to clean everyday.

He placed his glasses on the sparkling vanity and walked into the shower, it wasn’t quite warm enough yet but it was warmer than his freezing butt. Adam closed his eyes and let the water shoot into his face. It was probably safe to go home now, he wanted to bring Danny back so they could see Trevor and Mom. He also had Sebastian to worry about, the man hadn’t responded to any of his texts. 

Adam shook his head and let the showerhead pound at his hair and slide down his back. Too many things to worry about. The most important thing right now was to make sure he could afford to continue living with the two extra mouths he had to provide for. How he’d do that he still wasn’t sure. It was too cold for him to start growing crops, he could work at Joja with Sam part time but he didn’t want to have to take the bus into town. 

_Adulting is hard_

He shook his head and began washing his body. He would have to discuss this with Danny and Porter first.

He didn’t want to make any decisions without them. 

* * *

The bench was cold, Ethan pulled the overcoat around him tighter and tried to ignore the freezing wind that blew around him. He felt a tap at his arm. 

“Can’t sleep here” The man was dressed in a blue uniform, he crossed his arms. Ethan could see a black baton in his hand as the man scowled down at him. 

“You don’t have anything better to do than pick on the homeless?” he snarled lifting from the bench. 

“Go find a stop sign to police, or better yet go hang yourself, pig” he spat at the man’s feet. 

The baton swung at him, his head throbbed in pain as the metal rod connected with his temple. The policeman pulled the stick back and swung again. Ethan covered his head with his hands as the man swung repeatedly, he fell to his knees as the baton snapped against his thigh. He cowered into the ground. The man continued to whack him with the baton on the back, then spat into Ethan’s hair. 

His body was sore from the blows but he gave a sigh of relief as the heavy footsteps moved away from him. He gave an evil grin, his nose flared up in anger as he stared at the policeman walking away. 

He stopped walking, the man’s body was heavier than he expected, all the heavy police gear pulled down at his hips. 

_I can help you with that._

He undid the buttons around his neck, shivering as the cold wind blew around his chest. He gave a nasty grin to an older woman, she clung to her purse in fear as she gave him a disturbed glance and hurried away. Ethan flung the blue shirt over into a bush, then worked on the belt at his hips. The buckle was tight but he managed to unclasp the leather, the baton hung loosely and clattered onto the stone pathway as he dropped it. He kicked off the man’s shoes and pulled down his pants, chucking them into the bush. He giggled at the outline of the man’s cold shriveled penis in his tighty whiteys, then he ran to the edge of the park and stopped, turning back to his body. 

Ethan stood from the floor and sat back on the park bench, rubbing his arms and legs where he was sure bruises would soon form. He watched in glee as the man came to, he covered himself and looked around frantically, then took off in a sprint. 

His laughter faded quickly as the pain from the baton hit him. Ethan wanted to find a warm bed to sleep in. He sighed and stood from the park bench. The groups of families, couples and children he walked past all looked so happy. 

_Of course they’re happy, they have places to go home to._

A small stone lay on the path ahead of him and he kicked it with the white sneakers, watching it bounce along the path and into the grass. When the sound of the rock stopped he heard something else. Footsteps matching his pace came from behind him, he turned his head. A man followed behind him, staring directly at the back of his head. He knew this song and dance all too well. He didn’t want some quick fuck in the alley though, he wanted to be somewhere warm. 

He stopped and spun on his heels to face the man. The man was older, not too bad looking but he sure as fuck wasn’t winning any beauty contests. Ethan didn’t care, he’d done worse. 

“You host” he spoke softly as he glared at the man. 

He nodded and walked past Ethan, he followed behind the man, pulling out his lighter and a cigarette from his coat pocket. 

* * *

He blew out a cloud of smoke into the cold air.

_You want something so bad until you finally get it._

Sebastian brushed the long black hair from his face and looked out over the stream of water near his home. Porter was alive, he still couldn’t believe it. What was he supposed to do now? Ditch Adam and spend the rest of his days with Porter?

“Dammit Adam” he whispered to himself, hot white steam billowed from his mouth. 

He knew it wasn’t Adam’s fault. All the comments he’d made about Porter, all the moping he did, he put Adam in so much pain that he thought the only way he could help was to bring Porter back. Stupid, caring, lovable Adam. 

He pulled the phone from his pocket and read through the messages. 

_43 texts, really Adam?_

He smiled as he read through the man’s apologies. He knew Adam and Adam knew him. They were closer than ever but he didn’t know what to do anymore. Porter was back and he loved him. He grunted loud and scratched his head angrily. This was like one of those stupid romance movies he hated. Boy loves girl who loves a different boy, well not quite but close enough. He stood up and pulled another cigarette from his pocket as he started pacing. 

_I should just flip a coin._

_Let them battle to the death._

_Kill them both and live alone.  
_

He chuckled as he thought about how he should solve his problem. Some were creative but none really serious. 

_How about I go talk to them?_

He cringed as he thought the words he’d been dreading. Sitting across from the two men was too much for him. He shook his head and took another puff from the cigarette. It was almost out and he tossed it onto the floor, stomping away the bright red ember with his boot. 

He looked up and frowned, he’d walked absent mindedly all the way to the farm. He stared at the porch steps leading up into the house.

_Might as well, I’m already here._

Sebastian stomped up the steps and breathed deeply before turning the knob at the door. He pushed open and braced himself for a difficult conversation. His brow furrowed, the house looked different. 

The door shut behind him as he entered he glanced around and saw Porter at the sink, scrubbing away at a pile of dishes. 

“Where’s Adam” his voice came out harsher than he intended. 

The man turned slowly, he smiled wide at Sebastian “In the shower”.

“What did you do then?” Sebastian crossed his arms, scanning the room. The sofa had been moved, the chairs were all neatly aligned under the table, the kitchen countertops were glowing. 

“Huh?” Porter’s eyes were wide, Sebastian saw him swallow nervously. 

“Porter I’m not dumb, you’re a guilty cleaner and this place is spotless” he tapped a finger at his shoulder. His heart thumped inside his chest as memories of the man flooded back into his mind. It was just like old times, he let a smile slip out onto his face. 

“I - uh - slept in Adam’s bed and he touched my dick, he thought I was you” Porter stuttered as stared at Sebastian apologetically. 

Sebastian shrugged “He does that, so do you. You should’ve known better”. The thought of Adam touching Porter sent a chill down his back. He would’ve paid good money to see that show.

He took off his shoes and kicked them beside the door then pulled out a chair at the dining table and sat. Porter continued to stare at him nervously, then turned away and continued to wash the dishes. 

* * *

Now clean and freshly dressed, Adam headed out to the living room. He was excited to be wearing the clean clothes, Porter even folded them and put them away in his closet. It was nice having him here. If he could figure out a way to keep them all fed that is. He twisted the door knob and entered the living room.

 His eyes widened as he saw Sebastian sitting at the table. “Sebastian” his mouth hung open as the man turned to him with a soft smile. 

“Come sit, lets talk” 

Adam nodded and quickly walked to the table. Porter was in the kitchen, he shut the tap off and wiped his hands onto a rag before joining them. 

“I’m sorry” Adam blurted out the words as he bowed his head quickly.

Sebastian patted Adam’s head “It’s okay, I know you were just trying to help” his voice was soft. Adam was just glad the man wasn’t angry or scared anymore. 

The man retracted the hand, Adam lifted his head and watched his brow furrow. 

“I don’t know what to do about you two, so for now let's just be friends” Sebastian looked sad, but determined.

Adam looked to Porter, he was nodding slowly, sadly.

“I’ll be fine” Adam swallowed, he had to be strong. “You love Porter, I knew that when I brought him back. I know you want to be with him” he forced a smile.

Sebastian grunted in frustration “You can be so stupid sometimes Adam”. He glared angrily “You can’t decide things like that for me”

Adam stared back in shocked silence, he never heard Sebastian raise his voice like that. It was pretty hot.

“No more magic” Sebastian said sternly. “I can’t handle it anymore” 

Adam nodded solemnly. He wondered if that also meant he would have to walk to get to the kitchen from now on. Sebastian’s face didn’t look like he wanted to hear that so he stored the question away for another time. 

His mind raced, this meant he still had a chance with Sebastian. He looked back across the table, Porter’s eyes darted away from him quickly. This was a complicated situation he’d gotten himself into. He would listen to Sebastian, just do whatever Sebastian wanted. 

_No more magic._

* * *

The man led him into a building, Ethan followed him through a fancy reception area and into an elevator. Mirrors surrounded him inside as he made his way to the back, making sure to keep an eye on the man. He glanced at his reflection again and smiled. This was a nice body, he’d make sure to take good care of it.

Thirteenth floor, the elevator dinged and the doors spread open. The man walked out and took a left down a long carpeted hallway. 

_Another rich one, great._

He didn’t mind them but they were statistically more dangerous. They thought their money could fix all their problems and they didn’t bat an eye at roughing him up. Not this time though, not in this body. This was A+ prime beef and he wouldn’t let it spoil as quickly as the rest. 

The man stopped at a door and punched in a keycode, not bothering to cover it up in front of Ethan.

_8332_

Easy enough, he wouldn’t mind having a few extra bills in his pockets once this was done. The man must be new at this, you always cover your pin unless you want few things taken while you’re away. Ethan followed the man inside as he held the door open. 

“What are you into then? Top, bottom, watersports?” he chuckled as his eyes scanned the fancy apartment. 

The living area was spacious, the whole wall on the opposite end of the front door was glass. He could see far into the distance over the rest of the city. It was nice, a big upgrade from the cold park bench.

He felt hands slip around his waist and pull up his shirt, roughly caressing his skin. His eyes held on the view from the window. It was so beautiful out there, why would someone ever create a wondrous world like this and fill it with garbage. Garbage like him, like the man he was with, like the countless bodies he’d had before now. Ethan felt the man’s hot breath on his neck, then a wet tongue worked its way up to his ear. 

_Ladies and Gentlemen, its Show Time._

Ethan shut his eyes and moaned softly, weakly, desperately. The man’s hands stumbled as the unclasped the button of his tight jeans. He didn’t even bother to unzip before pulling Ethan’s pants down, then quickly pulled the underwear down quickly, scraping the elastic band against his tender skin. 

_Ouch._

He hid his snarl from the man, raising his neck and turning away from the man lapping at his neck and continued to moan as the hand fondled his soft penis. The man pushed him forward toward the dining table. He slipped between two chairs, the man pushed the chairs aside and pushed Ethan down onto the table. The laquer on the fancy wooden table reflected the blue sky that shone through the window.

He clenched his teeth tight as he felt the man’s spit covered cock stab into his tight hole. He glanced back at the man, sighing in relief at the opened condom wrapper he held in his teeth. The man gave no mind to Ethan, he pulled the overcoat in a tight fist as he slammed his hips into him. 

Ethan turned back to the window, rolling his eyes as he let out soft grunts and moans that matched the man’s thrusts. His eyes were soft and sad as he gazed out at the blue sky.

* * *

A soft wind blew through the air and Adam stared in horror at the black robed man that appeared beside the table. 

He spoke in a deep and serious voice “Are you ready?” he held a hand out. 

Adam swallowed and asked nervously “For what?”. 

The Watcher gave a condescending smile “We have magic to do, boy”. 


	29. Gag Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam takes a class at the Watcher academy for boys that can't learn good.

Soft, red silk sheets wrapped around Ethan, the bedding smelled freshly washed. He lay naked sprawled out across the bed, the man had finished and gone to the bathroom without a word. Ethan hoped he’d just stay there, he wanted the bed all to himself. When was the last time he got the chance to sleep in a bed? Two - no three months ago. It was fine in the warm months, he could sleep comfortably anywhere he wanted. But the cold tore through these bodies like the plague and he had a feeling he wouldn’t find another as good as this. 

 

He heard water running from the bathroom, the sink, he knew the man would be out soon. Ethan rolled around playfully, letting the silk sheets glide across his body as he smiled to himself. Tomorrow he would come back and steal them, they’d keep him cozy on the streets. The bathroom door creaked open and he stopped moving, shutting his eyes peacefully as he let out soft breaths. 

 

The man didn’t speak which was a good sign, maybe he’d be fine letting Ethan sleep. He heard his footsteps approaching the bed then felt the memory foam sink as the man crawled into bed with him. 

 

_ No, leave me alone. Let me sleep, please, please.  _

 

He prayed in his head for the man to lay down and sleep. The movement stopped and he relaxed, letting his mind drift. 

 

Something wet slapped over Ethan’s mouth. His eyes jolted open but the white rag was covering his eyes. Was this chloroform? He held his breath as he tried to shake the white rag from his eyes to look at the man. 

 

The man straddled his chest, pinning down Ethan’s arms onto the bed. Ethan couldn’t hold his breath any longer, he breathed through his nose. No air went into his lungs, the wet towel plugged his nostrils closed and then did the same to his mouth. He felt his chest shake as the man sitting on him laughed. Then he felt a slow stream of water pouring out onto the towel. He choked and gasped for air. He pulled at his arms but the man was too heavy. He shook his body violently, convulsing in pain as his lungs begged for air. 

 

Ethan stopped moving, he stopped breathing. 

 

The man gave a disappointed “Tsk” as he pulled his weight off of Ethan’s body. He pulled the towel from his face and leaned in, pushing his tongue into the man’s mouth.

 

_ Sick fuck.  _

 

His eyes opened.

 

He pulled the tongue from the his mouth, then sat up from the bed. He hated doing this, but the punishment had to meet the action. He walked out of the room and into the kitchen. His fingers grazed the handle of a large knife inside a block of wood. 

 

_ No, too quick, too easy.  _

 

Ethan wanted him to suffer. He walked out of the kitchen and through the bedroom to the brightly lit bathroom. He checked the medicine cabinet, nothing interesting in there. He looked through the drawers beneath the sink and found a bulk sized package of toothbrushes. He smiled and took out the box, laying a large handful out on the counter. He looked around the bedroom for the man’s pants, then searched the pockets. The phone lit up in his hands, then instantly unlocked.

 

_ Facial recognition, perfect.  _

 

He took the phone and searched through the recent messages, the man seemed important. His most recent texts seemed business related. He put down the phone and got to work. 

 

Seven toothbrushes was his limit. If he tried one more he’d rip the man’s butthole open and he didn’t want to feel that pain. He picked the phone back up and began to take candid shots in the mirror. He picked five of the best, one was a close up, he made sure that most of them showed his face clearly. Ethan composed a message and sent it to all of the contacts on the man’s phone. He sat the phone beside the sink and watched in glee as it buzzed erratically as replies came in. 

 

_ What a fun game. _

 

He waddled out of the bathroom and searched around the house. He found a roll of duct tape inside the man’s bedside table. The more he learned about this man the more he felt he needed to punish him, but he’d already had enough fun for the day. He lay on the bed carefully and began wrapping his legs and feet with the duct tape. He wrapped a final piece over the man’s mouth then looked to the body beside him. 

 

Ethan took a deep breath and rose from the bed. He picked his clothes up, they were scattered all around the man’s home. He stood in the doorframe getting dressed as he watched the man squirm around. He let out a pained muffled scream and lifted his hips from the bed where he’d slammed it. 

 

Ethan chuckled then headed to the door, stopping in the kitchen to grab a small watch and a few rings from a drawer before heading out the door. He wouldn’t able to come back now, he let out a sad sigh. 

 

_ Goodbye silk sheets. _

 

He closed the door. 

 

* * *

  
  
  


Adam looked at Sebastian nervously.

 

He rolled his eyes “Go, no magic after that thought”.

 

He nodded, he hoped Sebastian understood he couldn’t say no. If he did the Watcher might just kill Porter for good, maybe even kill Adam. He looked back at the man, he was watching them with the same bored expression he usually had.

 

“What do you need me to do exactly?” 

 

The man stroked the purple hair on his chin, giving a cautious glance to Sebastian and Porter before shrugging. 

 

“I will send you someplace I cannot go to, you will find an individual for me, then report back” he counted out the steps on his fingers for Adam. 

 

That sounded easy enough, he could do that quick and be home for dinner. Adam nodded and reached his hand out toward the Watcher. 

 

“Wait” Sebastian yelled, slapping his hand down. 

 

“You can’t go there why?” his eyes were cold as he stared up at the Watcher. 

 

The man loomed over the three of them. His eyes stared hot at Sebastian and Adam felt scared for the man for a moment. Then he relaxed and leaned down. 

 

He began in a soft voice, as if he were talking to baby animals. 

 

“There are two worlds in this plane”

 

He whirl’d his finger on the table and two oranges appeared, along with a porcelain bowl.

 

“Two worlds” he held up two fingers. 

 

“Your world” he pointed to Adam, then picked up an orange and put it in the bowl. 

 

“And this one” he put the other orange in the bowl. 

 

Adam could feel the sarcasm in the man’s voice but he had to admit this was much clearer than any of the man’s previous explanations. He looked at Sebastian and Porter, they looked like they wanted to kill him. 

 

“Now, a Witch came and messed me up - real good. Then you guys saved me” the man pointed at them and clapped slowly. 

 

All three heads tilted in confusion. 

 

“You all died again. So I had to erase your memories and bring you back” he lifted his hands up dramatically. 

 

Adam shrugged, he lost him again. 

 

“Witch used me to do something very bad” he pointed at the table and another bowl of oranges appeared. He picked the bowl up and balanced it on top of the other bowl of oranges, then shook his finger at it. 

 

“Now Adam, what am I called?” he turned his face and gave his best smile to Adam. It was horrifying.

 

“The Watcher” Adam replied slowly with wide eyes. 

 

The man nodded, rolling his hands  “ of -”.

 

Adam’s eyes were wide and he continued to smile. How was he supposed to know what he watched? The only thing he knew the man did do was bring people back to life. 

 

The Watcher sighed “of this plane Adam, keyword there being THIS plane” he pointed to the bottom bowl. 

 

“So why does he have to go there at all? They can stay on their plane, we stay on ours” Sebastian argued. 

 

“Nobody listens to me” the man sighed as he pulled out a seat and sat at the table. 

 

“You are literally sitting at this table with three magical beings. Imagine how many are on the other plane” The Watcher picked up an orange and began to peel it. 

 

“What if they eat people? What if they are all crabs? What if they all have magic and come over here, all crab-y and eat everyone. I don’t know, can’t go there” the man pouted as he ripped a slice of orange off and popped it into his mouth. Adam got the sense that he’d never been unable to do something before, he was acting like a normal person now. 

 

“So who am I supposed to find?” Adam asked, he was really hoping it wasn’t a crab person. 

 

“Am iiduhvi-” he stopped and swallowed the orange slice “I’ve traced one magic source, it’s not exact but I can put you down in their general area. You find them and rate their magic on this scale” he snapped and a poster appeared on the wall. It was a series of cartoon faces ranging from happy to sad, to horrified, along with accompanying numbers 1 to 10. 

 

“And if they are a 10?” Sebastian spoke up. 

 

The Watcher shrugged “Bring them to me and I’ll deal with them”. 

 

* * *

  
  
  


Abigail slammed the book shut and let out a deep, satisfied breath “I need another one”.

 

“Really? That’s your third one this week” Danny scoffed and turned to Sam who was sitting at his computer “Does she always read this much?”. 

 

He nodded absently as he mashed the keyboard.

 

“It is fascinating - granted most of it i’m sure is bull - but I love it” Danny laughed at the woman’s delighted gaze. 

 

Sam groaned in frustration, tapping his mouse rapidly, then pushed the chair away from the desk and stood up. 

 

“You okay Sam?” Danny looked concerned at the man, he seemed more frustrated with the game lately. She wondered if it had anything to do with her being there, maybe she should leave and give him some alone time. 

 

Sam walked over to the bed and squeezed in beside Danny, cuddling his head against her arm as he let out loud, fake cries. 

 

He whined “I suck”. 

 

Danny rubbed his shoulder “It’s okay, you’ll do better next time”. She wasn’t so sure of that though, she’d only seen him happy about the game a couple times so he probably did suck.

 

Sam scooted up the bed and gave Danny a few soft pecks on the lips. 

 

“Ugh” Abigail grunted as she rolled out of the bed “I’ll see you tomorrow, you guys have fun” she winked at Danny. 

 

They both waved as the woman scurried out the door, she was probably going to go home and order another book.

 

Danny looked down at Sam nervously. They were at a point in their relationship that she was uncomfortable with. She knew her body, she was comfortable with it. But to have Sam looking at her, touching her, it made her skin crawl. Sam knew she was trans, he’d known from the beginning, but she was sure it was new for him, it was new for her too.

 

She laid down on the bed, fully clothed and shut her eyes hoping Sam would think she’d fallen asleep. Danny felt him lift up from the bed. 

 

“Danny, can we talk?” his voice was soft in her ear. She reluctantly opened her eyes. 

 

“Sure”

 

The man sat on the bed beside her, his face was red and he took deep breaths.

 

“Do you not like me anymore?” his eyes were sad and his tone was soft. “Or- or if there’s something I can do better just let me know”. 

 

“No” she said quickly, lifting her head from the bed. “I - I just don’t know the -” she bit her lip and looked at him embarrassed. 

 

“I’ve never had sex” she blurted out the words in frustration. She didn’t want him to misunderstand her. They’d had enough of that in their group.

 

“Oh” he whispered, his face was relieved. “I don’t want to rush you, we don’t have to do anything you aren’t comfortable with” he smiled at her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. 

 

Danny shut her eyes tight in frustration.

 

“I want to - with you”. 

 

She opened her eyes and looked at Sam’s face, red with shock. 

 

“Like, right now?” his mouth hung open. 

 

“If you want to” she whispered, placing her hand on the man’s red cheek. Sam stood up frantically and ran to his closet, he pulled a crinkling grocery bag from high shelf and dumped the contents onto the bed. Danny looked awkwardly at the unopened box of condoms and lubricant. 

 

Sam glanced between the items and Danny and stammered “I’m sorry, I didn’t know when - I wanted to be prepared”.

 

She smiled up at her boyfriend and chuckled , then rolled out of bed and walked to the door. She gently closed it, then turned the lock. His family wasn’t home but she would feel more comfortable with security. 

 

The bed squeaked as the two of them sat together, staring at each other. 

 

“So -” Sam patted a beat onto his legs.

 

Danny sat quietly and waited for something… sexual to happen.

 

Sam rose to his feet, his face turned away from Danny as he lifted up his shirt. She stared at his body, her eyes danced around his chest, from his dark tan nipples to the light brown hair on his stomach. She gulped as she felt pressure in her body. 

 

“Is this okay?” he asked, holding his finger at the button to his pants. Danny’s eyes were wide, she gave an eager nod. 

 

In one motion Sam dropped his baggy jeans and boxers down onto the floor. The man’s penis dangled between his legs as he climbed back onto the bed. He crawled toward her and kissed her neck. The touch of his lips on her body was warm, she looked down the man’s back to his cute round butt. Everything about Sam was attractive, she loved every inch of him. 

 

He whispered into her ear “If you aren’t ready, I understand. But -” he chuckled softly “I really want this” then nibbled at her ear gently. 

 

Danny’s body quivered at the man’s breath hit her skin. She melted underneath him, she wanted to be closer to him. She pushed his chest away with a palm, he looked at her with concern before she grabbed the tight black shirt she was wearing and lifted it up.

 

The grin Sam gave her as her head emerged from the fabric made her blush. She reached her arms back and tried to unclasp her bra, her fingers stumbled with the clasp as she stared at Sam’s body before her. The elastic released and she dropped the bra quickly to the floor before reaching her hands up to pull Sam into her. 

 

Their tongues wrapped around each other as she felt Sam’s hand glide around her body. She let out a soft gasp as his fingers passed her nipple, he chuckled softly and toyed with the skin as he kissed her neck. Danny was in a state of bliss, she’d been faking sleeping for days to avoid this and now she severely regretted it. She let out another gasp as his lips worked their way down her breast, the man’s tongue teased her nipple. He smiled with his eyes shut as he kissed her pale skin. He worked his way down her body, scooting further down the bed before stopping at her pants.

 

The man looked up at her, his blonde hair now flat from his sweat and her hands running through. He kissed her hip and sat his chin on the button to her black jeans. 

 

“Can I Danny?” he frowned sarcastically as he stared up at her. 

 

Danny was breathing heavily, she panted out “Sam, you can do anything you want”. All she wanted was for him to keep touching her, to keep his longing eyes on her. 

 

The jeans slid down her hips, she lifted from the bed and let him release her from the tight fabric. He fell back and kissed the purple fabric that separated them. She couldn’t wait anymore, her fingers thrust the fabric down and the man happily accepted, kissing the sensitive skin as it bounced in the air.

 

Sam pulled back and reached for the bottle, he spread a generous amount in his hand and came back to her, kissing her body as his hand stroked her penis. She looked down embarrassed at him but he didn’t look up, she watched him kiss her hips, then he opened his mouth and wrapped his lips around her erection. She moaned as his tongue lapped at her skin, then he dropped his hand down to her butt and gently inserted a lubricated finger.

 

He came up for air, gasping desperately as sweat dripped from his face and chest. Danny noticed his erection standing proud above her as he breathed heavily. 

 

She rose up and grabbed him, pushing him down onto the bed beside her, then she stood over him. She reached for the box of condoms and ripped it open, carefully peeling the aluminum packaging open. She took the rubber and unrolled it over his hard cock. Then she took the bottle in her hands, pouring a stream of the liquid onto the condom, rubbing the fluid in before passing the excess to her hole. As she pushed down onto it, wincing at the slight pain, Sam held her hips gently, keeping her steady as she lowered onto him. Danny breathed heavily now, but Sam didn’t let her rest. He took hold of her penis and stroked it as he gave a thrust. Her breath was sharp and she held a hand to her mouth as he continued. 

 

Sam pushed himself up and pulled the hand from her mouth “You don’t have to hide”. He thrust again and smiled wide as she let out another moan. Danny grabbed his head a pulled it to her face, kissing the man as she lifted her own hips and dropped them onto the man. This time he let out a moan into her mouth. She continued moving her hips, she watched the man’s eyes water and his throat tighten as her butt cheeks clapped against the man’s legs. She knew he was close, she wanted to take him there. The sound of the slapping skin quickened and she watched his breathing quicken. 

 

They shut their eyes together, each felt the other’s body shudder as they came. Danny fell onto Sam, her thighs felt weak and shaky. 

 

“That was cool” he panted. 

 

“Very cool” she replied as she kissed the man’s cheek. 

  
  
  



	30. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian finds a solution but Adam doesn't know if he can handle the change.

The people in this world seemed to know he didn’t belong here. Adam walked along the busy street, everything looked normal to him. The cars and buildings looked like they did on his world, the people too. But as he passed by the crowds on the sidewalk he could hear them whisper, he could feel their eyes following him.

 

_What if they were a hive mind species? They knew he wasn’t one of them because they all knew each other._

 

He picked up his pace, crossing the busy street as the walk symbol appeared on the other side. This was bad, how was he supposed to find someone with magic when they all knew he didn’t belong here. He shut his eyes.

 

The wind blew hard against him but he pushed forward, pulling the hood tight around his head. Adam looked down over the brick ledge at the crowds passing beneath him. When the Watcher said general area he didn’t think that included a massive city.  How was he supposed to look for a single person in a whole city. If he just stayed in the world for a few hours and went back he could tell the Watcher he did his best. Adam wanted to get back home, he was cold and hungry.

 

A car horn drew his attention from below. A man was standing in a crosswalk, a red sports car revved its engine and honked as he stood in its way. The man didn’t move, even as the car inched forward toward him. Then the red sports car shot into reverse, the blue sedan behind it laid on the horn but it was too late. The two cars collided and the street lit up with screams that mingled with the sedan’s horn still blaring.

 

Adam couldn’t look away from the accident, the driver of the sedan stomped over and pulled a thin young man from the sports car. It was a large woman, she pushed the man into his car and screamed at him unintelligibly. He finally looked away from the scene turning to look for the man that had caused the ordeal. But he was gone, the crosswalk was now filled with onlookers, they all observed the scene and held their phones toward the woman as she continued her onslaught of insults.

 

He frowned, that was suspicious but he didn’t get a good look at his face. Dirty blonde hair and a gray overcoat, that’s all he remembered. Adam's resolve was renewed having found a lead, he pushed past his hunger to continue his search.

 

Adam shut his eyes.

 

* * *

 

 

Abigail stared at her phone intently.

 

She swept her hair from her face, her hand was shaking with anxiety as she watched the timer countdown.

 

_Don’t you fucking do it Popo44._

 

Whoever this Popo44 was he or she was out to ruin her life. Abigail clenched her jaw as the timer reached ten seconds. This was the last of the _Occult Journal_ series, there were only 100 copies produced in the entire world and the other 99 were off in a collection somewhere. This was her only chance, she had to get this one. If Popo44 beat her on this it would be locked away and she’d never be able to read it.

 

_4, 3, 2, 1_

 

She shut her eyes as the page refreshed. Her hands were clammy as she gripped the mouse like her life depended on it. Her phone buzzed on the table beside her, she swiped the screen and her body froze as she saw the shipping confirmed email from Ebay. She’d done it. She won the bid.

 

_Five hundred dollars is nothing._

 

Abigail raised her hands over her head in victory. The hands slowly sank as she realized how many commissions she would have to take now to earn back that money. Her head turned over to her workstation, half a dozen partially started works lay scattered across the white table. Art had been fun when it was only a hobby. But when she started taking commissions, to get out of having to work at her father’s general store, it killed her creative spirit. Abigail wanted creative freedom but those pieces couldn’t pay for her book addiction.

 

_I could write a comic._

 

She grinned at the workstation and rolled her chair over to the desk, she had the perfect idea. A story of romance, magic, and best of all she already had all the reference material she needed. Her hand scribbled fast as she drew thick block letters at the top of a page.

 

_Gay Magic._

 

She looked proudly at the words but tilted her head, it didn’t have the ring she thought it would. She could always change the name later. She began on her first tile, a brief sketch of Adam’s figure surrounded in roses. Abigail took creative liberties in making his hair long and blonde, his eyes a more striking purple. Her mind races as she sketched, imagination coursed through her veins and out the lead tip of the mechanical pencil.

 

By nightfall she was done sketching out her first chapter. Abigail jotted down a few key points on a paper for her story-line, there were some good plot points but she needed more. Adam and Sebastian, but now Porter? How was she supposed to tie up that love triangle. Sure she could wait and find out how they settled it themselves but she had a better idea. Gears spun in her head as she mapped out how she could write her friend’s stories in her own words.

 

The cell phone vibrated from her computer table again, she rolled her chair back towards it.

 

_Sebold:  Hey._

 

The sides of Abigail’s mouth curved menacingly as she read the text. She knew, somewhere, a god was looking down upon her with favor.

 

She typed out a reply and quickly pressed send.

 

_Need to talk?_

 

* * *

 

 

Ethan snatched the bills from the man’s hand.

 

“This a scam or something? That’s pure gold right there buddy” he counted the bills, one hundred fifty, he snarled back up at the cashier.

 

“Take it or leave it” the fat man behind the counter held out his hand.

 

Ethan rolled his eyes and stomped to the door. This whole city could bite his ass. He’d almost been killed, beat up by a cop, and now scammed at every pawn shop he could find. A few more nights then he’d be out of here, somewhere warm, somewhere nice, somewhere with good bodies to take. He’d never been to Hawaii, he could snatch a rich man’s body and book a flight and ditch it quickly so he wouldn’t be found. He toyed with the idea briefly, but the thought of having to live in a subpar body disgusted him.

 

For now, he just wanted food. His wrists were starting to look thin, his eyes were redder and more sunken than he remembered.

 

_Being out on the streets does that to a man._

 

He walked along the sidewalk of the city, passing back along the streets he’d searched for pawn shops. There were some good smells coming from this way, he was sure of it. Italian food hopefully, he wanted to feel classy.

 

The crosswalk light changed and he walked with the crowd across the street.

 

Ethan stopped, something caught his gaze that he wasn’t expecting to see in this shithole: something beautiful; rather: someone beautiful. The young man had wavy light brown hair, his shoulders were broad, the fabric was pulled taught around his thick, toned forearms, the perfect mixture of lean and slender. Ethan licked his lips as the man stepped down onto the street and walked toward him, his soft short hair bounced with each step.

 

He wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not but the man’s tucked in shirt was hanging from his zipper hole like a fabric penis. The man pulled it off, he could wear a skirt on his head and he’d still be fashionable. Ethan wanted that body, he needed it. Then the man looked up, Ethan let out a gasp as he saw those piercing blue eyes. But the man’s head quickly fell and he began to walk faster, passing Ethan by.

 

The world froze as the man’s shoulder grazed Ethan. It was like a whole body orgasm, his knees felt weak and his head was spinning. He stared ahead at the sidewalk and replayed the man as he walked toward him, replayed his blue eyes glancing around in fear, then he snapped back to reality. He wanted that body, he wanted it right now. Ethan spun his head around to the other side of the street where the man had been. He looked all around but he was gone, he’d vanished. Maybe it was just his imagination, he was so hungry he was seeing things.

 

Ethan sighed sadly, then a red sports car beside him honked.

 

* * *

 

 

“What the fuck is a trouple?” Sebastian squinted at Abigail. That sounded like something she’d just made up. He was laying on her bed as she sat in a chair with a clipboard in her hand, she frowned and mimed writing with an imaginary pencil.

 

“It’s like a couple, but with three people, trouple” she shrugged and tapped the imaginary pencil on the clipboard.

 

“That sounds … strange” he frowned. Did people actually do that? How would it even work, it would seem like at least one of the three people would get jealous. Though he had to admit he wouldn’t mind having both of them in bed at the same time. He plopped a pillow down in his lap, just incase his thoughts ran too far.

 

“It was only a suggestion, otherwise I’d say you are rightly fucked sir” Abigail said in an English accent, she spun around in the chair playfully.

 

She was right, he still couldn’t choose one or the other. Sebastian let out a long groan as he tried for the millionth time to think of another solution.

 

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask” he mumbled across the room. Abigail nodded eagerly and wiggled her hand above the clipboard again.

 

“You wanna go somewhere? I don’t have any work to do today” he asked meekly, he didn’t want to go home, he didn’t want to go back to Adam’s either until he was back from his business with the Watcher.

 

Abigail pouted her lips “I have a ton of commissions I need to finish, you can stay here if you want though”.

 

Sebastian shook his head “It’s alright, I’ll let you get back to work”. He gave a weak smile.

 

“Always a pleasure Sebastian, tell the receptionist on your way out to send in my next client” She turned the chair away from him and pulled into her workstation, taking out a few large partially finished pieces of artwork.

 

Sebastian rolled his eyes and chuckled as he stood from the bed and headed to the door.

 

She swiveled the chair back towards him and gave a thumbs up, adding “Good luck” as she gave him a wide grin.

 

Sebastian nodded begrudgingly and walked out the door.

 

* * *

 

 

“I did my best” Adam shrugged at the Watcher, he’d searched for hours and hadn’t found the man again, and he was getting tired of the stares people were giving him. He still couldn't figure out what the deal with them was, he was fairly certain they weren't a hivemind or crab people at least. 

 

The man glared in disdain “You’ll keep searching until you find them, that is the deal”. He rubbed his forehead as he sat in his chair. He looked weary, like the uncertainty that loomed in the other plane was keeping him in a constant state of anxiety.

 

Adam pouted out his lip “I’ll look tomorrow, I’m tired”.

 

He nodded quickly and waved Adam away. Prolonged exposure to Adam apparently seemed to frustrate the Watcher more than the anxiety.

 

He smiled and blinked away.

 

“I’m home!” he shouted as he stood in the living room. He opened his eyes and saw Sebastian and Porter sitting at the dining room table. Sebastian had his arms crossed and Porter’s face looked shocked at whatever he’d just said to him.

 

Sebastian looked at Adam’s crotch, he looked disgusted as he moved up to his face “Why is your shirt hanging from your pants?”.

 

Adam looked down in shock and quickly adjusted the clothing mishap.

 

_So that’s why people were looking at me like that._

 

He looked back up embarrassed and tried to change the subject. “What’s up, what did I miss?” he pulled out a seat and sat down with them.

 

Sebastian cleared his throat “Did you finish your job?”.

 

“No” Adam frowned “I have to try again tomorrow”. He pouted his lips and grunted, he didn’t want to admit it but he had a feeling it would take him a long time to finish the Watcher’s task. That was a mistake he had to live with, he looked over at Porter and smiled weakly.

 

Porter smiled back nervously, then his eyes darted to Sebastian.

 

The two of them exchanged awkward glances, then Sebastian swallowed and took a deep breath.

 

Adam’s heart sank, his voice shot out before Sebastian could speak “It’s fine, you don’t have to say it. I understand”. He rose from the table quickly and headed to his room.

 

“Adam, wait” Sebastian’s chair scraped the floor as he ran after him.

 

He could feel tears forming in his eyes as he ignored the man. He just wanted to be alone now, he didn’t need an explanation. Adam’s hand shot out for the door but Sebastian grabbed his shoulder.

 

“I didn’t choose anyone Adam” he shouted from behind.

 

Adam slowly turned around, he looked through teary eyes at Sebastian’s sad face.

 

“Huh” Adam whimpered out, wiping his face and nose.

 

Sebastian rolled his eyes and blew from his lips.

 

“Do you know what a trouple is?”

 

* * *

 

 

“So both of you are fine with that?” Adam looked inquisitively around the table.

 

Porter nodded slowly. Fine wasn’t the word he’d use to describe it, he was all for it, though he wouldn’t admit that to Sebastian. Adam was attractive, he already loved Sebastian, what was there to not like about this situation?

 

Adam chewed on the inside of his cheek in thought.

 

Looking at Adam now, Porter wasn’t sure the man would accept the proposition. But he wasn’t sure if he should be the one trying to convince the man, Sebastian was the one that knew him.

 

“You don’t have to decide right now” Porter blurted out “You can wait until we get to know eachother better”.

 

Sebastian nodded, his face turned slightly red for reasons Porter could only assume.

 

“I can help you with your work, or I can get a job somewhere else” he added. Porter tried to think of any reasons the man might say no.

 

Adam scrunched his face harder in thought.

 

Sebastian reached a hand out to rub the man’s shoulder “It’s a lot, you don’t have to decide right now, we can talk about it more” his voice was soft.

 

Adam shook his head and sighed.

 

“It’s fine, but If we all can’t fit on the bed I’m not sleeping on the couch” he said, crossing his arms adamantly.

 

Porter chuckled and nodded “I’ll get us a bigger bed when I get a job”.

 

The man nodded happily.

 

“Was that it? That what you had to think so long about?” Sebastian furrowed his brow at Adam.

 

“I’ll do whatever you want Sebastian, but that couch hurts my back” he pouted.

 

Porter nodded in agreement “That couch sucks”. They both stared back at the couch in disgust.

 

The chair beside him pushed back and Sebastian stood up “Okay, well I’m glad we came to a conclusion, I’m going home” he began walking to the door. He was probably exhausted from thinking about this all day. Porter nodded sadly as the man walked away. 

 

Adam stood from the table and followed him, Porter did the same. Sebastian turned around and looked at them.

 

“What?” his eyes shot between them as they stood side by side staring at him.

 

Porter leaned forward and puckered his lips, Adam followed suit. Sebastian rolled his eyes and gave them both quick pecks, then turned around.

 

“Bye Sebastian” Porter and Adam said in unison, they laughed at each other and waved to Sebastian.

 

He smiled, rolled his eyes, then shut the door.

 

* * *

 

 

Ethan twirled the last few strands of spaghetti in his fork and placed it in his mouth. He shut his eyes and savored the last bite, it would be a while until he could eat this well again.

 

He picked up the glass of wine to wash the taste down. A woman passed by his table, eyeing him seductively. She wore a long red gown low cut enough for him to see her breasts. Ethan eyed her back and smiled. She looked to be in her late forties but was attractive and youthful, likely because she was rich enough to avoid the stresses of life.

 

He slid a bill down on the table that he assumed would be enough to cover the bill and tip, then he followed as she walked out of the restaurant.

 

Ethan wrapped an arm around her hip as he caught up. She glanced at him and smiled, then turned her face forward and began walking down the sidewalk. He watched her pull her phone out of her pocket and type on it briefly but couldn’t read the message.

 

Neither spoke as they walked, Ethan kept his arm on her hip, peering down between the slit in her dress as her breasts shook with each step of her high heels.

 

As she turned into a building Ethan cursed in his head. A hotel, she wasn’t going to have any valuables worth stealing. Still, it had been a while since a woman picked him up so he continued in with her.

 

The woman slipped a keycard from out of her small black purse and opened the door, Ethan walked in and dropped his overcoat on the small dresser across from the bed. The woman followed him in and wrapped her hands around his hips from behind, then pulled the shirt off of his body.

 

She pushed him onto the bed gently and he sat down on the springy mattress.

 

Ethan scooted back to lay down across the bed but the woman held his pant leg and knelt down on the floor by the bed’s end.

 

_Strange._

 

Most of his trade just wanted to do it quick and dirty. He shrugged and moved back to the foot of the bed. The woman smiled up at him and placed her hands at the waist of his pants, she slowly unzipped the jeans and slid them down his legs. Ethan pulled down his underwear quickly, there was no need for all this romantically slow bullcrap. Maybe he should’ve reconsidered this when there was no loot involved. He rolled his eyes as the woman’s head went down toward his flaccid penis.

 

She toyed with his member until it became erect, then began to tease it gently with her mouth, lightly scratching her nails against his leg. Ethan was starting to get bored. Maybe he’d just take her body and do himself. That’d be funner at this point though he wasn’t sure he would stay hard.

 

He heard a noise come from the closet to his right. The door was a series of slanted wooden slats. The woman quickly turned her head to the sound then looked up at Ethan, her eyes were wide in fear.

 

Ethan pushed her off of him, she must’ve seen his smile because she didn’t chase after him as he walked to the door. He pulled the door open and smiled at the man, he was around the woman’s age, maybe a little older. The man's pants and underwear were around his ankles, and he had a hand around his erection. He was shaking in fear as he closed the foldable screen on the camcorder and stared up at Ethan.

 

He grinned and held out a hand to the older man.

 

“Three’s my lucky number”

 


	31. Shooting in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam walks into the spider's web.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I know it's been a while. I've been in a mood/busy with school.

Adam sat in the bed and read through his messages, he would have to take care of these appointments before he went off tomorrow for the Watcher’s project. Maybe he could ask Porter to help him. He looked beside him at the man, he was turned away from him but he didn’t look like he was asleep yet. 

 

He poked the man and whispered “Porter”. 

 

Porter turned around and sat up, he looked excited for some reason. 

 

“Can you help me tomorrow with my orders?” Adam asked sheepishly, he smiled wide hoping he’d say yes. 

 

“Oh” Porter looked disappointed, then nodded slowly and turned back away. 

 

“Did you have something else to do? You don’t have to” he said in a reassuring tone. Adam felt bad, he didn’t want him to feel like he brought him back to life to help him with yard work. 

 

“No, it’s nothing, I can help” he mumbled and pulled the covers around him. 

 

Adam pouted, he put his phone down and laid down facing the other man. If this trouple thing was going to work out he needed to get Porter to be comfortable around him. 

 

He snuck his hands through the covers, then raised them slightly before diving into Porters side, wiggling his fingers around the man’s ribs. 

 

Porter shook violently as he giggled. “Stop” he shouted through his laughter, Adam ceased his tickling and pulled his hand back. 

 

“What’s up?” he said smugly across the bed. 

 

Porter turned toward him, they looked at each other in the dimly lit room. Adam could see his mouth twitching, but he silenced himself, pinching his lips together tight. 

 

“Okay fine” Adam sighed deeply and feigned turning around. The man let his guard down and Adam jumped up quickly, mounting the man with his knees, and he sent his fingers into his armpits. Porter bucked and squirmed but Adam kept him down with his hips as he poked his ribs with his fingers. 

 

The man bucked again and Adam slipped lower down the man’s body, he stopped tickling. 

 

_ That’s a penis _

 

He cocked his head to the side and looked at Porter who quickly murmured “Sorry”. His eyes were watering from being tickled but Adam could see he was embarrassed. 

 

Were they supposed to do sex stuff? Should they ask Sebastian if it was okay? Adam wasn’t sure what to say, they hadn’t gone into much details about the trouple thing. He carefully and awkwardly dismounted the man and crawled across the bed toward the nightstand.

 

Before Adam could reach the phone Porter rose up from the bed, heading to the bathroom.

 

“Porter wait, uh -” he looked between the phone and the man who was holding his underwear against his body. He gulped as he felt his own underwear tighten around his hips. 

 

Adam waved the man back towards him. Porter walked back and sat on the bed. 

 

“Sex stuff Sebastian should be here for” he said nervously, Porter nodded sadly. He cleared his throat and gave a sly smile “But we can do other stuff”.

 

* * *

 

Porter’s eyes gazed longingly at Adam, he really wanted the sex stuff; but Adam was right, he didn’t want to ruin the relationship by moving too quickly.

 

He waited for Adam to make a move but the man sat still, his brows furrowed in thought. There was still that awkward tension between them, undiscovered territory. 

 

Porter laid down in the bed, covered himself with the blanket, and pulled down his underwear. He had to take a risk to see what Adam really felt. He stared at the man, his thoughtful expression was now a smug grin as he watched the blanket rise and fall as Porter stroked his own erection. 

 

“You’re being a creep” he grunted, stopping his hand. Adam turned away and looked at the wall. Porter could see the outline of the man’s erection in the bed sheet rising. 

 

He chuckled, then sat up from the bed, kicking the blankets down past his knees. Adam’s gaze returned to him. He watched Adam’s eyes as they flicked around his chest and arms, then they settled on his groin. 

 

“You just want to watch?” he chuckled as Adam continued to stare. Adam had a certain endearing absent mindedness about him that Porter found attractive, maybe it was the same quality that attracted Sebastian to him.

 

Adam gulped and nodded.

 

Porter sighed and continued to stroke himself. He looked over at Adam’s underwear, now uncovered by the sheet. He slipped his left hand closer to the man, Adam didn’t react to it. He inched his hand further and further until it was against his leg. Adam looked at the hand but didn’t move away from it. Porter slid his hand up and ran his fingers against the hard shaft beneath the fabric. 

 

“No sex stuff” Adam whispered. Porter nodded up at him but the man’s eyes were pointed down at his own underwear, he must be talking to himself. 

 

The man slid the waistband of his underwear down his legs and moved closer to Porter as he took his own erection in his hand. Porter stared longingly at the man’s penis, his heart raced as he imagined all the things they’d do when Sebastian was here. 

 

This trouple thing might actually work out. 

 

* * *

 

A gust of wind blew rustled the trees along the sidewalk, Ethan’s cigarette flew out of his hand into the dark night. 

 

_ Shit that’s my last one.  _

 

He bolted off toward it, chasing the tiny sparks that bounced off the pavement as it flew. The wind continued pushing it down the sidewalk until it hit against a black trash bin. Ethan quickly snatched the smoke and pressed it against his lips. 

 

_ Kryptonite  _

 

The bright red neon sign lit up the dark building. Ethan blew out a cloud of smoke and watched the red fog drift down the street. It was this or sleep in the cold, he could hear the music blasting from somewhere deep within the building. He pushed his hair back with a hand then tossed the cigarette in the trash before descending the staircase at the entrance. 

 

Upon entering Ethan could immediately tell this was not his scene, the expressionless zombie-like people swaying on the dance floor, the techno pop blasting loud through the speakers. Still, maybe he could find a warm couch to fall asleep on. He moved over to the bar that was lit up with blue LEDs. 

 

“What can I get you?” the young blonde woman shouted across the bar. 

 

“Something cheap” he shouted back, sliding a couple dollars toward her, he didn’t have the funds to waste on alcohol. The bartender nodded back and took the money, returning with a red tinted glass.

 

He nursed the drink as he scanned the dance floor. It tasted like rubbing alcohol and cherries but he wouldn’t waste the money he’d spent. It’d at least warm him up a tiny bit. As he looked over the crowds of people he rolled his eyes, none of them worth his time. 

 

Then he watched a man appear out of thin air. He saw it plain as day though nobody else seemed to notice, a few feet in front of him the man stood still, scanning the crowd like he’d been doing. 

 

Ethan smiled and sipped the drink as he stared at the back of the man’s head. This man was definitely worth his time. 

  
  


* * *

 

 

_ So this world has a Kryptonite too? _

 

Adam looked around, he was sure it was the same club but it looked slightly newer than the one in his world, the floors weren’t as scuffed and the walls were dark blue instead of pitch black. He liked his world’s better, the grungy look suited the nightclub better. 

 

There were still way too many people here to figure out which one was the person he was looking for. Adam strolled to the back wall and took his usual position, though this time he wasn’t looking for drugs. He scanned the crowd and waited for something magical to happen, like the car crash he’d seen before. Hopefully not a car crash again though, that’d be much less fun to see in a crowd of people. 

 

He watched the crowd dance and bobbed his head to the music subtly. This was his fourth day looking and he still hadn’t found anyone. Adam sighed to himself, he couldn’t wait for this job to be over with. He’d have more time to spend with Porter and Sebastian. The three of them still hadn’t done anything fun together, Sebastian was always too busy with work.

 

Adam pouted and whimpered, he liked Porter’s company but he wanted the three of them to spend time together. Adam snapped out of his thought, noticing a man walking toward him. 

 

_ I don’t want drugs, go away. _

 

His eyes darted away, hoping the lack of eye contact would deter him. The man continued on toward him and stopped right in front of Adam. 

 

“You got magic huh?” he heard the man say over the music. 

 

Adam’s eyes widened and he turned to look at the man. He could barely make it out in the red and green strobing lights but he could see the dirty blonde hair and the same gray overcoat. This was the man he was looking for. His heart pounded in his chest, he was almost done. Now he needed to figure out how to figure out his power. He wasn’t sure how exactly he was supposed to do that, maybe he could make cars crash into each other? That would be pretty bad but not a ten on the Watcher’s scale. 

 

“You deaf?” the man shouted louder over the blasting speakers.

 

“No” Adam replied. 

 

The man scrunched his face and pointed to his ear. “Let’s go somewhere quiet” the man shouted again, heading toward the exit of the club. 

 

_ There’s cars up there. _

 

Adam gulped, and followed after him. He really hoped his power wasn’t car crashes. 

 

They walked up the stairs and Adam shivered as the cold city wind hit him, it blew right through his blue hoodie and sent chills down his spine. 

 

He gave a sigh of relief as they made it out, it was nighttime and not many cars were on the street. 

 

“So” the man turned back toward him “You got magic?”.

 

“Maybe? What’s it to you?” Adam stammered “Why do you have magic?”. 

 

The man laughed, the large overcoat fluttered around his chest and Adam was hit with the man’s body odor. He struggled not to cringe at the sour smell lingering in his nose. 

 

The man’s laughter stopped and he held his overcoat down against his body “Sorry, being homeless is rough”.

 

Adam mentally slapped himself, he was never any good at hiding his expressions. He felt bad for the man, there was no way his power could be strong if he was homeless, or maybe he didn’t have any power at all. Either way the man didn’t seem threatening. 

 

“Sorry, I’d let you stay with me but I’m not from here” Adam said awkwardly. He really wouldn’t have let the man stay even if he was in his world, too many mouths to feed already. 

 

The man nodded his head “Got a hotel then?”. 

 

The man was chewing at his bottom lip and glancing down at Adam’s pants.

 

“No, I’m just here for a bit” Adam said quickly, not wanting the man to make any more advances. 

 

The man’s expression turned to frustration at Adam’s rejection. 

 

“I can teleport” Adam blurted out.

 

“Oh?” he mused with a sly grin “I’m Ethan and I have magic too”. 

 

“Really? Can you tell me what your power is?” Adam wiggled with excitement. He finally found him, he was almost done. 

 

“I hardly know you, I can’t reveal my secrets to a stranger” Ethan crossed his arms and smiled at Adam.

 

Adam nodded happily, he could understand the man’s reservations. All he had to do was get to know the man, then he would be done with this place forever. 

 

“I’m Adam” 

 

* * *

 

  
  


Abigail held her notebook close to her as she scribbled down notes. She followed behind Adam and Porter as they made their way through the rows of bushes. 

 

“So the trouple is going well?” she tapped the pencil on her mouth. 

 

Adam looked up at her in shock “How did you know about that”. 

 

She shook her head and gave a tsk “Doctor patient confidentiality, I’m not at liberty to say”.

 

He gave a confused glare, then resumed his work, mumbling “Yeah, it’s alright”.

 

Abigail scribbled into the notebook again, noticing Porter’s concerned glances at Adam as she wrote. 

 

_ Possible conflict in the relationship.  _

 

She reviewed her pages of notes carefully, chewing on the tip of the pen as she thought about how to incorporate it into her story. 

 

“So you met the man with magic in the other world, but you don’t know his power yet?” she said, reading a line from the book. 

 

“He won’t tell me yet, I think he just wants somebody to talk to” Adam replied as he snipped a white rose off the bush. 

 

“Mhmmm” Abigail pursed her lips. “What did you say his name was?” she asked, not wanting to have to make up another character name.

 

Adam began chuckling “Ethan, which is funny because -” he stopped and looked behind Abigail, he had a wide grin on his face. 

 

Abigail turned to see Sebastian waving down the row towards them. She quickly scribbled down the name. 

 

She cleared her throat to get Adam’s attention “That will be all for our session today Adam, I see you have a prior engagement”. The man gave a quick nod, he and Porter both ran past her to Sebastian.

 

Abigail watched the two of them squeezing Sebastian tightly and smiled.

 

_ That’ll be a good cover for chapter 10. _

 

 


End file.
